Preface
As a big country in developing and utilizing resources and energy, China is also spearheading sustainable development. Massive development and utilization of resources
and energy in the country have given rise to the huge sustainability challenge unseen
in human history. To combat global climate change as its economy took off, China has
made enormous efforts in driving sustainable development of resources and energy
and low-carbon transition through building eco-civilization and a human community
with a shared future. However, during the low-carbon transition, the serious challenges of resources, energy and sustainable development still require further research
and response.
This book revolves around low-carbon transition with a focus on Chinese practice,
seeking to explore the key challenges, solutions and policy recommendations of
resources, energy and sustainable development from multiple lenses. Chapters 1,
2 and 3 lay out China’s energy transition strategy, the interaction between rapid
urbanization and low-carbon development as well as cities’ transition towards lowcarbon societies in the light of climate change and sustainability demand; Chapters 4
and 5 highlight power system and water resources, respectively, examining the joint
low-carbon transition of power-grid-load, current management and challenges of
water resources and its impact on low-carbon power transitions; Chapters 6 and
7 look at key metal minerals and bulk metal minerals, respectively, to illustrate
the impact of the burgeoning electric vehicle market on the sustainability of key
mineral resources and the technological options of low-carbon development in the
steel industry.
In view of the complexity of resources, energy and sustainable development,
Tsinghua University put together its research teams from its Low-carbon Energy
Laboratory, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Institute of Nuclear and
New Energy Technology, School of Environment, Department of Electrical Engineering and School of Public Policy and Management, co-founded the TsinghuaRio Tinto Joint Research Centre for Resources, Energy and Sustainable Development
(hereinafter referred to as the Centre), together with Rio Tinto in 2012, and assembled
an interdisciplinary research team to study resources, energy and sustainable development issues. In 2015, the Centre published a Chinese book entitled Resources, Energy
and Sustainable Development in China (Beijing, Science Press), which focused on
xi
As a big country in developing and utilizing resources and energy, China is also spearheading sustainable development. Massive development and utilization of resources
and energy in the country have given rise to the huge sustainability challenge unseen
in human history. To combat global climate change as its economy took off, China has
made enormous efforts in driving sustainable development of resources and energy
and low-carbon transition through building eco-civilization and a human community
with a shared future. However, during the low-carbon transition, the serious challenges of resources, energy and sustainable development still require further research
and response.
This book revolves around low-carbon transition with a focus on Chinese practice,
seeking to explore the key challenges, solutions and policy recommendations of
resources, energy and sustainable development from multiple lenses. Chapters 1,
2 and 3 lay out China’s energy transition strategy, the interaction between rapid
urbanization and low-carbon development as well as cities’ transition towards lowcarbon societies in the light of climate change and sustainability demand; Chapters 4
and 5 highlight power system and water resources, respectively, examining the joint
low-carbon transition of power-grid-load, current management and challenges of
water resources and its impact on low-carbon power transitions; Chapters 6 and
7 look at key metal minerals and bulk metal minerals, respectively, to illustrate
the impact of the burgeoning electric vehicle market on the sustainability of key
mineral resources and the technological options of low-carbon development in the
steel industry.
In view of the complexity of resources, energy and sustainable development,
Tsinghua University put together its research teams from its Low-carbon Energy
Laboratory, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Institute of Nuclear and
New Energy Technology, School of Environment, Department of Electrical Engineering and School of Public Policy and Management, co-founded the TsinghuaRio Tinto Joint Research Centre for Resources, Energy and Sustainable Development
(hereinafter referred to as the Centre), together with Rio Tinto in 2012, and assembled
an interdisciplinary research team to study resources, energy and sustainable development issues. In 2015, the Centre published a Chinese book entitled Resources, Energy
and Sustainable Development in China (Beijing, Science Press), which focused on
xi