Mission of New Energy under Carbon Neutrality Goal in China postprint

Abstract: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, curbing the global temperature rise, and striving to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality are the initiatives and common pursuit of human beings confronting the climate change crisis. Carbon neutrality is a huge systemic project involving multiple disciplines and fields, and it requires a solid theoretical foundation and scientific methods to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, hence the emergence of carbon neutrality science. The theoretical connotation of carbon neutrality includes two “dynamic balances”, namely, the dynamic balance between global carbon emission and carbon absorption, and the dynamic balance between human development and the natural environment, the technical connotation includes the whole process of CO2 emission, capture, utilization, storage, and removal caused by human production and life, and the related technical system. Under the guidance of carbon neutralization theory, the core of the energy consumption structure needs to transform from fossil energy to new energy, and the world energy production and consumption structure will be transformed from fossil energy to new energy, and the world’s energy production and consumption structure will also fundamentally transform from the current “four pillars” including coal, oil, natural gas, and new energy to the new pattern of “three minors and one major” dominated by new energy. In this process, it is indispensable to build a synergistic development of coal, oil, natural gas and new energy. Meanwhile, China’s energy production and consumption structure will also undergo a revolutionary change from the current “one major and three minors” dominated by coal energy to the future “three minors and one major” pattern dominated by new energy, and eventually strive to achieve “energy independence”. However, in energy development, energy transition and energy security are considered to be on the same level of importance all along. Developing new energy is the key to achieve a sustainable carbon neutral society and building a long-term green and habitable earth.