Energy justice and decarbonization: A critical assessment for just energy transition in China

As China strives for a sustainable and equitable energy future, understanding the dynamics of energy justice at the provincial level becomes crucial for effective policy formulation. This study investigates the status of energy justice across provinces in China and identifies key driving factors driving the transition towards a just energy system. Employing a comprehensive analytical framework, encompassing availability, affordability, sustainability, and responsibility—comprising 18 specific indicators of energy justice, the research evaluates disparities in energy access, affordability, and environmental impacts among provinces. Over the course of the last 17 years, a notable and positive evolution in energy justice is evident across the 30 provinces analyzed. This transformation is best encapsulated by the substantial increase in the average energy justice score, which has ascended from 0.0494 in 2005 to an impressive 0.1898 in 2021. Over the past 17 years, there has been a noteworthy enhancement in energy justice across three distinct regions (the East region, rising from 0.5291 to 0.1981; the Middle region progressing from 0.0498 to 0.1965; the West region, increasing from 0.0432 to 0.1733). The top 5 interactions among driving factors are as follows: energy consumption intensity and urbanization rate (0.3493), energy consumption intensity and industrial structure (0.3289), industrial structure and the level of marketization (0.3159), urbanization rate and the level of marketization (0.2959), and energy consumption intensity and the level of marketization (0.2786). The findings contribute to the growing discourse on energy justice by providing insights into the unique challenges and opportunities faced by different provinces in China. The implications of the research extend to policymakers, energy planners, and stakeholders involved in shaping China's energy landscape. By identifying the key determinants of energy justice at the provincial level, this study offers actionable recommendations to foster a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable energy transition in the world's largest energy-consuming nation.