China: According to researchers, the world could achieve a 100% renewable energy system by 2050 if China meets its commitments and transitions away from fossil fuels.

According to a paper released July 25 by the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEEE) in New York, renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines will dominate the energy system of the future, bringing the world to a technological and economic state by 2050. ,

Sven Teske, an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney and one of the report's authors, said the United Nations reported that more than 160 companies with assets of US$70 trillion were committed to decarbonizing the global economy by 2050, including Involves phasing out fossils. ,

Our research has demonstrated that we have the technological means to implement a fully renewable energy-based global energy supply.

As the world's largest consumer of fossil fuels and producer of carbon dioxide, all eyes will be on China. The world's second largest economy will achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, when renewable energy sources account for 80% of the country's energy mix, according to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who made a surprise commitment at the United Nations in September 2020.

 A year later, Xi released a detailed plan to achieve this goal.

According to the researchers, China will have to fulfill its promise ten years ago if the world is to achieve the goal of 100% renewable energy in 2050.

 The difficulty of that challenging goal may increase this week as a result of Beijing's decision to halt climate change cooperation with the United States in response to Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

According to Corey Combs, senior analyst at Beijing-based consultancy Trivium China, "At this point in time, we don't see any real chance for Beijing to target 100% renewable energy by 2050 – and without that goal, it's unlikely that China will be able to achieve renewable energy." market will be able to access renewable energy." can reach that milestone by the forces of oneself."

"The gap between a grid with 80% renewable energy and a grid with 100% renewable energy is huge, and China's industrial and energy systems need major reforms to reach the former, let alone the latter."

While China's pledge to become carbon-neutral by 2060 does not mean that fossil fuels will be completely replaced by renewable energy, according to Combs, "neutrality" still allows for carbon emissions as long as they do not reduce carbon emissions. sinks or are offset by carbon capture. Management

Analysts said emissions targets, which were carefully set in a bureaucratic effort to prevent failures, could still be revised. Typically, China will try to achieve the [declared] goal, according to Zhang Lin, an associate professor at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU). “A rapid transition to energy systems is essential to meet the goal of using only renewable energy sources.

Zhang Shuwei, chief energy economist at the Drawworld Environment Research Center in Beijing, claimed that China needs stronger and additional policies to transition to 100% renewable energy.

Although reforms in China's electricity market will eventually help the country reduce its reliance on coal, Combs said coal will continue to be essential for many other difficult sectors, especially steel production, which is a significant part of the country's economy. Is. Has happened. ,

Zhang at CityU issued a warning about an overly rapid switch to renewable energy that would implode significant assets and carry significant economic costs.

"Economic feasibility does not necessarily mean technical feasibility," he said. "China has installed a large number of wind turbines in the Northwest region over the past few years, leading to high levels of reductions," he said.

As a result, he said, China should not accelerate its transition to renewable energy because conflicts between the country's institutional and physical infrastructure, its regulations, policies and the financial interests of its central and local governments are still underdeveloped.

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