Decarbonizing East Asia

A comparative analysis of east Asia's contested experiments in decarbonizationThe global fight against climate change cannot be understood without taking East Asia into account. Home to the world’s largest share of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the region also leads in investment in renewable technologies and low-carbon infrastructure. Decarbonizing East Asia provides the most comprehensive comparative account of how China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are reshaping their energy systems in response to the climate crisis.Through interdisciplinary and detailed case studies, the volume examines the policies, technologies, and political conflicts shaping the region’s transition away from fossil fuels. Governments across East Asia are pursuing different pathways—expanding renewables, promoting electrification, and experimenting with nuclear and hydrogen technologies—while balancing competing priorities of economic growth, energy security, and environmental protection. The book also highlights the social and political tensions embedded in the shift to green energy as infrastructure projects generate new forms of environmental injustice.Combining comparative analysis with grounded case studies, Decarbonizing East Asia reveals how one of the world’s most dynamic regions is redefining the possibilities—and the challenges—of decarbonizing modern economies.