Climate policy integration on energy transition: An analysis on Chinese cases at the local scale

International concerns about climate change and environmental and socio-economic impacts linked to fossil fuels have pushed energy transition up the agenda of the Chinese central government. The Chinese central government recognises that energy transition requires actions beyond what the energy sector can deliver, and has thus called for policy integration. Climate policy integration has emerged as one of the key strategies to respond to energy concerns by incorporating the diverse perspectives of various sectors. The main goal is for energy issues be considered and governed by multiple sectors taking collective responsibility and allocating resources for similar policy ambitions. However, developing integrated policy within traditional hierarchical sectoral settings can be rather challenging. In this article, we analyse how the integration of energy ambitions within non-energy sectors manifests at local level in urban China. This research draws upon semi-structured interviews in two case study cities: Chengdu and Yangzhou. We find generally weak climate policy integration in local governments due to insufficient communication and interaction between policy sectors, limited professional capacity, and inefficient governance structures. These findings suggest incorporating hierarchical, top-down governance with an increase in cross-sectoral and horizontal forms of communication and interaction, as both actions can significantly facilitate policy integration.

Automated summary

This article analyses the integration of energy goals within non-energy sectors at the local level in urban China and finds weak climate policy integration in local governments due to insufficient communication and interaction between policy sectors, limited professional capacity, and inefficient governance structures. The findings suggest the need for cross-sectoral and horizontal forms of communication and interaction to facilitate policy integration.