Chapter 5
Realizing a Local Low-Carbon Society
Through Urban-Rural Linkage
Hongbo Ren, Weisheng Zhou, and Xuepeng Qian
Abstract The urban area is always the hot spot of academic research relating to
low-carbon cities. However, because the energy consumed is mainly fossil fuels and
the stock of natural resources is limited in the urban areas, even though the
renewable energy resources are exhausted, the potential of local CO 2 emissions is
marginal. In addition, the urban area usually has higher energy demand density than
the rural area which is mainly dominated by the residential demands. On the other
hand, from the viewpoint of supply side, the energy infrastructures are well
maintained and can be enhanced even more in the urban area, while in the rural
area, a large amount of distributed renewable energy resources (e.g., biomass, wind,
solar energy) with less or no carbon emissions are not well explored. Therefore, in
order to construct a low-carbon city, especially for the cities with relatively low
urbanization ratio, it may be beneficial to develop a cooperative framework between
the urban and rural areas.
5.1 Characteristics and Importance of Urban-Rural
Linkage
In order to mitigate the impacts of climate change, development of low-carbon
societies is receiving increasing attention in both developed and developing countries. In such a society, various innovations are applied to technology, institutions,
and individual behavior. To outline progress toward this ideal, mid- and long-term
H. Ren
College of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai University of Electric Power,
Shanghai, China
W. Zhou (*)
College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
e-mail: zhou@sps.ritsumei.ac.jp
X. Qian
College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu, Oita, Japan
e-mail: qianxp@apu.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
W. Zhou et al. (eds.), East Asian Low-Carbon Community,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4339-9_5
105
Realizing a Local Low-Carbon Society
Through Urban-Rural Linkage
Hongbo Ren, Weisheng Zhou, and Xuepeng Qian
Abstract The urban area is always the hot spot of academic research relating to
low-carbon cities. However, because the energy consumed is mainly fossil fuels and
the stock of natural resources is limited in the urban areas, even though the
renewable energy resources are exhausted, the potential of local CO 2 emissions is
marginal. In addition, the urban area usually has higher energy demand density than
the rural area which is mainly dominated by the residential demands. On the other
hand, from the viewpoint of supply side, the energy infrastructures are well
maintained and can be enhanced even more in the urban area, while in the rural
area, a large amount of distributed renewable energy resources (e.g., biomass, wind,
solar energy) with less or no carbon emissions are not well explored. Therefore, in
order to construct a low-carbon city, especially for the cities with relatively low
urbanization ratio, it may be beneficial to develop a cooperative framework between
the urban and rural areas.
5.1 Characteristics and Importance of Urban-Rural
Linkage
In order to mitigate the impacts of climate change, development of low-carbon
societies is receiving increasing attention in both developed and developing countries. In such a society, various innovations are applied to technology, institutions,
and individual behavior. To outline progress toward this ideal, mid- and long-term
H. Ren
College of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai University of Electric Power,
Shanghai, China
W. Zhou (*)
College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
e-mail: zhou@sps.ritsumei.ac.jp
X. Qian
College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu, Oita, Japan
e-mail: qianxp@apu.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
W. Zhou et al. (eds.), East Asian Low-Carbon Community,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4339-9_5
105