The impact of urbanisation on energy consumption: A 30-year review in China

Cities are a major battlefield in humanity's struggle to save energy and combat climate change. In China, the cities have surpassed the industrial sector and become the largest consumers of energy. This paper explores how the process of urbanisation affected energy use in China 1980-2010. The results of the analyses show that for every 1% increase in the urban population relative to the total population, national energy consumption rose 1.4%, while industrialisation was not significantly associated with the growth of energy use during this period. Urbanisation has increased energy consumption along three main pathways: urban spatial expansion, where urban sprawl has increased energy consumption in new buildings and the transport sector; urban motorisation, which induces energy-intensive transportation; and the rising quality of energy-intensive lifestyles. Urban households consume 50% more energy than rural households per capita, which indicates that continued urbanisation in China will promote the growth of national energy consumption. Urban policies designed to encourage compact urban growth, green buildings and new energy vehicles could thus play a vital role in saving energy. Undoubtedly, the changes in lifestyle and growth of a consumption society and e-Society will bring new challenges to energy-saving policies and climate change mitigation initiatives in China.