Low-carbon transition of energy infrastructures

Energy infrastructures such as electricity, steel, cement and transportation, playing an essential role in global social and economic development, have rapidly developed over the last three decades. Especially in the post-COVID-19 era, many countries and regions plan to invest more in energy infrastructures to boost their weak economy or have already done so. However, with the current world economy’s heavy dependence on fossil fuels, energy infrastructures emit large quantities of greenhouse gases and air contaminants during the exploration, production, transportation and consumption of energy resources, which exerts serve negative impacts on climate change and environmental degradation as well as the mankind life. Data from International Energy Agency shows that energy infrastructures’ contribution to global carbon emissions is nearly 70%. Moreover, with a lifespan of up to several decades, energy infrastructures continue to generate large amounts of carbon emissions in the future, which would significantly raise global temperatures and pose a severe threat to accomplishing the Paris Agreement targets. In this regard, efforts to boost green, low-carbon and sustainable transition of energy infrastructures are urgently needed.

The aim of this special issue is to provide a better understanding of how to promote the low-carbon transition of energy infrastructures, and to explore determinants, challenges, as well as potential socio-economic impacts of the low-carbon transition of energy infrastructures.

Researchers in energy economics, environmental economics, and resource & production economics are welcome to contribute to this topic.