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Can you guess who made these statements: “oil production is very significant for our country because we need secure domestic energy supplies,” or “we will take proactive and prudent steps to advance our climate policies without disrupting people’s lives,” or even “the stability and consistency of our climate policies makes them better than those of other countries?”
Surprisingly, these quotes did not come from Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Prime Minister, who has been emphasizing the importance of domestic oil supplies and advocating for pragmatic net-zero plans. Nor did they originate from Grant Shapps, the Energy Secretary, who has been proudly showcasing the UK’s achievements in decarbonization. Instead, all three statements were made by Chinese leaders, President Xi Jinping and his climate envoy Xie Zhenhua, in the past two years.
This highlights the fact that the clean energy transition needed to address climate change is not as unique as it may seem. Similar parallels can be found between the UK, the birthplace of the fossil-fueled industrial revolution, and China, the world’s leading greenhouse gas polluter.
The way governments manage this energy transition will ultimately define them, and 2023 is proving to be a crucial year in exposing leaders and laggards as rising temperatures push governments into uncharted political territory.
Unlike previous energy transitions, this one has a deadline. The extreme climate events witnessed this year have occurred when average global temperatures are 1.1C higher than pre-industrial levels. To limit warming to 1.5C, greenhouse gas emissions must nearly halve by 2030 and reach almost zero by 2050. However, more than 75% of global energy still comes from burning fossil fuels.
I distinctly remember during a trip to Beijing in 2014 that policymakers there were as divided about climate action as those back in London. China even had its own climate skeptics, but by 2014, Beijing had embraced a sweeping green growth strategy.
While some Western leaders mocked renewable energy technologies, China steadily became a leader in the manufacture and deployment of renewables, batteries, and electric vehicles. Although it still has a significant thirst for fossil fuels, the balance is slowly shifting towards cleaner technologies. Some analysts even predict that these cleaner technologies may soon meet all new energy demand.
The Biden administration has been pushing the US into the clean energy race, and countries like the EU, Japan, and Canada have also implemented measures in response. However, the UK, lagging behind in polls, has delayed its response and focused on fossil fuel reserves. Falling behind in this global transition could have long-term consequences for the UK’s economy.
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