Beneath Chinas low-carbon transitions: governing techniques and technologies

Making a carbon governmentality work requires carefully calibrated governing techniques and technologies (GTTs). This chapter anatomizes these centrally deployed GTTs in China in support of mitigation and low-carbon transitions (MLCT). 10 categories and numerous sub-categories are identified and examined. Apart from the better known GTTs such as planning, mandatory energy efficiency standards, renewable energy requirements, market-based mechanisms, financial incentives and investment, and capacity building, this investigation emphasizes target responsibility systems (TRS), bureaucratic re-organization, performance criteria adjustment, accountability for government officials, local compilation of GHG inventories and climate statistics, experimental pilots, and regularised monitoring. Industrial policy, market assisted allocation of vehicle licenses, energy pricing reform, experimental trading of carbon emission and energy use allowances, support for renewables and electric vehicles are examined. This chapter underscores the importance of combining juridical, administrative, and governmental powers for MLCT and identifies the Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction TRS as the most important carbon GTTs.