As a developing country undergoing remarkable economic growth, China’s escalating energy consumption and recent reversal in energy efficiency gains are disconcerting for both its national government and the global community. Without ecological energy policymaking, China’s increased energy demand will inevitably result in further degradation of global natural resources, exacerbated pollution, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In her study, Nina Xin Zheng therefore examines national and regional energy trends in China, highlighting the potential for improved industrial energy efficiency by addressing existing energy paradoxes. She analyzes China’s national energy trends in the global context to explore the factors behind higher energy consumption and lower industrial energy efficiency gains. In the national context, case studies of two different provinces reveal regional disparities in the energy trends of developing coastal and undeveloped inland provinces. These analyses present new insights into regional energy intensity trends and development experiences that enable a more nuanced assessment of the factors driving energy use and the applicability of foreign energy efficiency policy instruments in China. In accounting for existing challenges to improving energy efficiency, an examination of successful energy policies and reforms abroad offers optimism for China’s potential in achieving truly sustainable development.With growing economic, environmental and security linkages between China’s energy use and the global community, greater understanding of its recent energy trends is crucial for sustainable development. For other provinces in China, recognizing the contributing factors to regional energy disparities and Guangdong’s successes provide opportunities for improving energy efficiency while undergoing development. For the global community, greater awareness of China’s energy challenges presents new opportunities for promoting ecological energy policy in China and other countries undergoing economic development to mitigate rising global energy concerns. Ultimately, China’s successes and challenges in addressing its rising energy consumption and declining industrial energy efficiency embody universal lessons on the role of ecological energy policy in the 21st century.

On February 13th, 2007, North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and energy assistance. As a part of the strict give-and-take denuclearization process, the Feburary 13th agreement stipulates energy assistance up to the “equivalent of one million tons of heavy fuel oil”. Noting the critical phrase, “equivalent of”, this study analyzes the various energy assistance options available through domestic and international politics analysis and economic cost-benefit analysis; it includes health and environmental externalities in the economics, thus incorporating the latent social costs. The research finds that a comprehensive energy assistance package that consists of renewable energy assistance, including wind, small-hydro, and tidal power, combined with the rehabilitation of hydro power plants and the grid system in place of heavy fuel oil, would benefit the North Korean energy sector and its economy in a sustainable manner. In the medium-term, light water nuclear reactors emerge as an unfortunate imperative in putting a definite end to the dismantlement process. In the longer South-North Korea economic cooperation, however, as the benefits of renewable energies increase over time, a diverse portfolio of renewable energies would contribute to reviving the economy while allowing for the health of the people and of the environment. To shed light on an example of a country aligning itself toward a sustainable trajectory, the Cuban example of overcoming a food and energy crisis is introduced to grant lessons for policymakers.

As a developing country undergoing remarkable economic growth, China’s escalating energy consumption and recent reversal in energy efficiency gains are disconcerting for both its national government and the global community. Without ecological energy policymaking, China’s increased energy demand will inevitably result in further degradation of global natural resources, exacerbated pollution, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In her study, Nina Xin Zheng therefore examines national and regional energy trends in China, highlighting the potential for improved industrial energy efficiency by addressing existing energy paradoxes. She analyzes China’s national energy trends in the global context to explore the factors behind higher energy consumption and lower industrial energy efficiency gains. In the national context, case studies of two different provinces reveal regional disparities in the energy trends of developing coastal and undeveloped inland provinces. These analyses present new insights into regional energy intensity trends and development experiences that enable a more nuanced assessment of the factors driving energy use and the applicability of foreign energy efficiency policy instruments in China. In accounting for existing challenges to improving energy efficiency, an examination of successful energy policies and reforms abroad offers optimism for China’s potential in achieving truly sustainable development.With growing economic, environmental and security linkages between China’s energy use and the global community, greater understanding of its recent energy trends is crucial for sustainable development. For other provinces in China, recognizing the contributing factors to regional energy disparities and Guangdong’s successes provide opportunities for improving energy efficiency while undergoing development. For the global community, greater awareness of China’s energy challenges presents new opportunities for promoting ecological energy policy in China and other countries undergoing economic development to mitigate rising global energy concerns. Ultimately, China’s successes and challenges in addressing its rising energy consumption and declining industrial energy efficiency embody universal lessons on the role of ecological energy policy in the 21st century.

On February 13th, 2007, North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and energy assistance. As a part of the strict give-and-take denuclearization process, the Feburary 13th agreement stipulates energy assistance up to the “equivalent of one million tons of heavy fuel oil”. Noting the critical phrase, “equivalent of”, this study analyzes the various energy assistance options available through domestic and international politics analysis and economic cost-benefit analysis; it includes health and environmental externalities in the economics, thus incorporating the latent social costs. The research finds that a comprehensive energy assistance package that consists of renewable energy assistance, including wind, small-hydro, and tidal power, combined with the rehabilitation of hydro power plants and the grid system in place of heavy fuel oil, would benefit the North Korean energy sector and its economy in a sustainable manner. In the medium-term, light water nuclear reactors emerge as an unfortunate imperative in putting a definite end to the dismantlement process. In the longer South-North Korea economic cooperation, however, as the benefits of renewable energies increase over time, a diverse portfolio of renewable energies would contribute to reviving the economy while allowing for the health of the people and of the environment. To shed light on an example of a country aligning itself toward a sustainable trajectory, the Cuban example of overcoming a food and energy crisis is introduced to grant lessons for policymakers.