The Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus: Will China’s New Silk Road Contribute to Export of Black Fossil-Fueled Economy?

Former US President Barack Obama imposed controls on fossil fuels to protect the planet and position the United States as a leader in the development of alternative fuels. Donald Trump has reversed course on such policies, and this could put China and other countries in charge of green energy. John A. Mathews and Hao Tan examine whether China might instead simply outsource the most polluting factories. “China’s energy consumption levels and carbon emissions are still expanding, but at a much lower rate in recent years, from a level of 8% per annum and over for most of the 2000s, to around 1% per annum during the past two years,” the pair writes for Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus. China is also increasing use of renewable energies. The One Belt, One Road Initiative will connect Asia and Europe with highways, ports, pipelines, power grids and more, and the new development will unlock new sources of fossil fuels. “The Silk Road Fund has yet to publish its environmental policies,” the two writers note, adding the fund has invested in both fossil-fuel and clean-energy projects. India, UAE and other countries are trying to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Detailed policies and combined efforts could make green energies more cost-efficient sooner rather than later. – YaleGlobal

The Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus: Will China’s New Silk Road Contribute to Export of Black Fossil-Fueled Economy?

China’s One Belt, One Road initiative hasn’t published environmental policies yet – and could either extend the life of fossil fuels or reinforce renewables
John A. Mathews and Hao Tan
Monday, June 19, 2017

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John A. Matthews is professor of management, MGSM,Macquarie University, Australia, and formerly Eni Chair of Competitive Dynamics and Global Strategy at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. His research focuses on the competitive dynamics of international business, the evolution of technologies and their strategic management, and the rise of new high technology industries. His work has focused in recent years on the emergence of the ‘green economy’ and the transition to renewable energies, and the institutional changes needed to provide industrial capitalism with genuine long-term sustainability. He is the author of Strategizing, Disequilibrium, and Profit, Global Green Shift: When Ceres Meets Gaia published by Anthem Press and Greening of Capitalism: How Asia is Driving the Next Great Transformation published by Stanford University Press.

Hao Tan is senior lecturer at Newcastle Business School, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2008, Australia. He currently serves as acting Head of the International Business Discipline and a Program Convenor of Master of International Business. He is an associate of the Centre of Asian Business & Economics at University of Melbourne, and was a visiting professor at National Tsinghua University in Taiwan in 2014. His current research interest is in China’s energy transition. Since 2009, he has published over 20 scholarly journal articles and book chapters, including a commentary article in the leading science journal Nature (co-authored with John Mathews). With John A. Mathews he is the author of China’s Renewable Energy Revolution published by Palgrave in 2015. He is a frequent contributor to both English- and Chinese-language media channels such as UK Financial Times’ Chinese website, China’s Caixin and Australia’s theconversation.com.

The Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus
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Copyright 2017. Reprinted with permission.