Clean Energy Technology Innovation

Achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are the intrinsic requirements of China's own high-quality development and a solemn pledge to the international community. The green and low-carbon transformation of the energy sector is the key to the realization of the carbon neutrality goal, and energy technology innovation plays a decisive role in this process. Therefore, energy technology innovation has been identified as a core pillar in the carbon neutrality strategies across the globe. It is also the high ground for future global technology competition.

At present, world energy technology innovation is very active. New energy technologies are deeply integrated with modern information technology, material technology, and advanced manufacturing technologies. Solar energy, wind energy and new energy vehicle technology gradually mature. Breakthroughs have been made in large-scale energy storage, hydrogen fuel cells and fourth-generation nuclear power. New models, businesses, and products of energy utilization are increasingly abundant, which will bring profound changes to the way people work and live. Countries are seizing the opportunity to develop energy technology and seeking a competitive vantage point in a new round of scientific and industrial revolution. China's energy technology innovation has leapfrogged from wholly "following" to partially "paralleling" and even "leading". China has established an internationally competitive energy equipment manufacturing industry in some sectors, and in some energy technologies China has even become a world leader. Such progress has provided strong support for ensuring China’s national energy security and promoting clean and low-carbon energy transformation.

The 14^th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial period for China to accelerate energy technology revolution. On October 26, 2021, the State Council issued the Action Plan for Carbon Dioxide Peaking Before 2030, which listed "the action for advancing green and low-carbon technology innovation" as one of the "ten major peaking carbon dioxide emissions actions". It stressed the supporting and leading role of science and technology innovation, and pointed out that China would improve institutions and mechanisms for science and technology innovation, strengthen innovation capacity and speed up the green and low-carbon technology revolution. On January 30, 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly released the Policies and Measures to Improve the Mechanism for a Green-oriented Transition of Energy, which emphasized that the green and low-carbon energy transformation requires to establish a collaborative innovation system of major clean and low-carbon energy technologies.

The energy technology innovation needs the guidance of national innovation mechanism as well as to give full play to the role of enterprises in innovation. Focusing on clean energy technology innovation, Tsinghua-CTG Joint Center for Climate Governance and Low-carbon Transformation will conduct international comparative studies on energy technology innovation systems, and analyze the future development of clean energy technologies such as hydrogen, advanced energy storage, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Through investigating in relevant demonstration projects planned by the China Three Gorges Corporation and other central government-owned energy enterprises, the center will study and evaluate the future development directions of clean energy technology to support the national energy technology revolution and promote the global clean energy revolution, making new contributions to green development of the global economy.

Links to related policy documents:

China’s clean energy technology innovation documents：

U.S. clean energy technology innovation documents：