Session: 4.1.1 - Renewable Energy Systems

Paper Number: 117882

117882 - The Journey to Carbon Neutrality: A Case Study Through China and the United States 

There is no doubt that the world is in the midst of an energy crisis. The volatile political landscape and globally increasing CO2 emissions demand that every country consolidate its resources in search of clean and reliable energy. China is no stranger to this crisis as the country has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2060. However, the odds are not in China’s favor. Leading the world in CO2 emissions, energy demand, coal consumption, and fossil fuel imports, China’s reliance on coal and other polluting energy sources seems to be the backbone of its very society, and moving away from these established practices will take time, investment, and focus. Despite their promise to peak their carbon emissions in the next 20 years, their efforts have so far done little to curb the ever-increasing greenhouse gasses they release into the atmosphere, and certain actions taken in the energy industry contradict these intentions altogether. The country is already responsible for a quarter of the world's CO2 emissions, yet they continue to build new coal-based power plants at a greater pace than the combined rest of the world. As the world's leading manufacturer of solar panels and electric vehicles, their investment into and development of the renewable energy sector is indeed substantial. However, in the context of the country's daunting trends, this progress is having too little of an impact on the nationwide scale as their energy demand continues to increase at an unsustainable rate. So the question remains: how will China combat its CO2 emissions and take the necessary steps toward clean energy in order to fulfill its ambitious promises? This paper focuses on three main areas. First, it will introduce the physical, social, and economic environment of China as a country and discuss its current uses of energy. This includes the breakdown of their total primary energy supply by source as well as the specific sectors each fuel contributes to. Second, it will compare and contrast the energy profiles of China and the United States. This consists of not only the current uses of energy in the two countries but their investments in the renewable energy sector so far as well as their energy policies and goals looking ahead. Lastly, the paper will discuss the progress of the country in recent years and introduce several recommendations for actions that China can take to combat carbon emissions on its journey toward clean energy and carbon neutrality.

Presenting Author: Alexis Gyselinck University of Central Florida

Presenting Author Biography: Alexis is an undergraduate student at the University of Central Florida studying Electrical Engineering on the Power and Renewable Energy track. Passionate about all things energy, she plans to work in the field of renewable energy or electric vehicles.