China Update 2026 – China’s decarbonisation: strategy, objectives and the pathway to a low-carbon economy

China’s transition to a low-carbon economy is one of the defining economic and technological transformations of the twenty-first century. As the world’s largest energy consumer and greenhouse-gas emitter, China’s choices will have profound consequences not only for its own economic development, but also for global energy markets, industrial competitiveness and the pace of climate change.

China Update 2006 organised by the China Economy Program (CEP) at Crawford School of Public Policy examines China’s decarbonisation process from an economic, technological and policy perspective. It explores the strategy, objectives and pathways through which China is seeking to reconcile economic growth and development with the transition toward carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Speakers at the Update will address the evolution of China’s energy system, the transformation of its industrial structure, and the growing role of renewable energy, electrification, energy efficiency, energy storage, hydrogen and other emerging technologies. Attention is given to the difficult sectors at the heart of the transition including steel industry where decarbonisation involves fundamental changes to production technologies, energy sources and business models.

Beyond technology and policy, the Update also raise a broader question: Can China’s decarbonisation become a new source of productivity, innovation and economic growth? It analyses how green industries, technological upgrading and the development of new energy systems could reshape China’s comparative advantages and its position in global markets and the implications for Australia-China bilateral relations in areas such as renewable energy, critical minerals, green steel, hydrogen and low-carbon technologies.

China’s decarbonisation is not simply an environmental project. It is a structural transformation of the Chinese economy. Understanding its strategy, objectives and pathway is therefore essential to understanding China’s future growth model—and the changing shape of the global economy. The book covering the discussions at the Update will be published by the Australian National University Press in 2027.

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