170 9 JULY 2021 • VOL 373 ISSUE 6551 sciencemag.org SCIENCEPHOTO: THOMAS PETER/REUTERSEdited by Jennifer SillsChina’s ambitious energy
transition plans
China has pledged to achieve peak carbon
dioxide emissions by 2030 and carbon
neutrality by 2060 ( 1 , 2 ). Although a
national road map has not yet been
announced, many cities, companies, and
institutions in China have been propos-
ing carbon reduction plans that rely on
rapidly transitioning from fossil fuels to
other types of energy ( 3 , 4 ). Such extreme
changes could backfire. China’s energy
plans are most likely to succeed if they
are inclusive, gradual, and tailored to the
needs of each region.
Radical carbon-neutral targets can lead
to unsustainable energy transitions with
potentially dangerous unintended conse-
quences. For example, millions of rural
residents in China’s Hebei province were
reportedly left with no heating in the winter
of 2017 as a result of a rapid switch from
coal to gas in an attempt to reduce pollution
( 5 ). In mid-December of 2020, factories in
China’s Zhejiang province were forced to
close temporarily to meet unrealistic energy
consumption targets ( 6 ).
China should promote equitable energy
transitions that do not leave behind
disadvantaged groups or those employed
by vulnerable sectors of the economy ( 7 ,
8 ). Energy transition action plans should
include strategies to protect the economic
and social welfare of the nearly 4 million
people who work in fossil fuel mining and
many more who work to support fuel sup-
ply chains ( 9 ). Existing policy debates payinsufficient attention to the social and eco-
nomic challenges involved in transitioning
human capital along with energy ( 10 ).
The energy transition process also needs
to be implemented over time rather than in
rapid bursts. Energy transition paths should
balance human needs and social stability,
a lower share of fossil fuels, and energy
security. The energy system has strong
transition inertia; a radical energy transition
path that is not capable of practically and
cost-effectively meeting people’s basic needs
will do more harm than good.
Finally, transition plans need to adapt
to regional heterogeneity. Because of the
tremendous geographic differences in China,
not all regions will be able to achieve energy
transitions at the same pace. Regions with
more economic development and resources
may be able to afford earlier neutrality.
Regional heterogeneous targets should be
established to account for such differences.
Adopting market instruments, such as
energy production capacity permits ( 11 ) and
an emissions trading system ( 12 ), can help to
minimize the costs of transitions.
Xunpeng Shi^1 , Yongping Sun^2 , Yifan Shen^3 *(^1) University of Technology Sydney, Sydney,
Australia.^2 Hubei University of Economics, Wuhan,
China.^3 Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
*Corresponding author.
Email: [email protected]
REFERENCES AND NOTES
- D. Normile, Science 370 , 17 (2020)
- S. Mallapaty, Nature 586 , 482 (2020).
- M. Walsh, K. Jia, “Chinese provinces home to 250 million
plan carbon emission peaks,” Caixin (2021). - Reuters Staff, “China’s top steelmaker Baowu Group
vows to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” Reuters
(2021). - “China does U-turn on coal ban to avert heating crisis,”
BBC (2017). - N. Gan, “China turns off the lights in ‘Christmas town’ as
officials race to meet energy targets,” CNN (2020). - F. Green, A. Gambhir, Clim. Pol. 20 , 902 (2019).
8. S. Carley, D. M. Konisky, Nat. Energ. 5 , 569 (2020).
9. National Bureau of Statistics of China, “Communiqué on
the Fourth National Economic Census (No. 3)” (2019);
http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/201911/
t20191120_1710328.html.
10. G. He et al., One Earth 3 , 187 (2020).
11. X. Shi et al., J. Clean. Prod. 256 , 120472 (2020)
12. “China’s emissions trading scheme,” IEA (2020); http://www.
iea.org/reports/chinas-emissions-trading-scheme.
10.1126/science.abj8773Institutions key to
inclusion and equity
In his Letter “Inclusion and equity through
STEM training” (28 May, p. 926), M. H.
Zaman suggested that better and broader
training could increase inclusion and equity
in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM). Training individuals
may lead to valuable understanding about
workplace inequities, but it is institutional
policies, processes, and behaviors—or lack
thereof—that allow inequities, harassment,
and discrimination to persist. If research
and academic institutions are not held
accountable, their response to inequities
and mistreatment may be inadequate.
Institutions may have offices to deal with
allegations of inequity and harassment, but
the mere existence of offices is insufficient
to ensure fair and effective investigations. In
a survey of those who experienced aca-
demic bullying, only 8% of individuals who
reported abuse thought the process was
unbiased and fair ( 1 ). Even when institu-
tions find wrongdoing, deficient policies
( 2 , 3 ) and a predisposition toward inaction
often result in offenders facing trivial or no
sanctions ( 4 , 5 ). In the case of astronomer
Geoff Marcy, allegations first surfaced in
1995, spanning two universities ( 6 ). Only in
2015, after he was found culpable of sexual
harassment, did Marcy resign ( 7 ). Similarly,
it took Harvard University ( 5 ) and the
Salk Institute for Biological Studies ( 8 ) 40
years to effectively deal with harassment—
Harvard acting after the offender retired.
Institutions may be required to report
allegation outcomes to funding agen-
cies that can implement sanctions [e.g.,
( 9 , 10 )], but funder consequences rely on
institutions acknowledging wrongdoing
by individuals. Institutions failing to do so
perpetuate the lack of consequences for
perpetrators. Funding agencies and private
philanthropies should instigate anonymous
reporting mechanisms, including ombuds-
persons, for institutional inaction. Funding
sanctions and fines imposed on institutionsIn 2017, China’s Hebei province rapidly shifted
from coal to gas, but the resulting energy shortages
led to a reversal of the coal ban.LETTERS
0709Letters.indd 170 7/2/21 4:16 PM