Graduation Year
2018
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Politics and International Relations
Reader 1
Nancy Neiman Auerbach
Reader 2
Minxin Pei
Terms of Use & License Information
Abstract
As interest in renewable energy development continues to rise around the globe, the alignment of China’s capabilities and incentive to invest in the green energy sector position the country in a leading role. However, China’s recent investment in coal-to-liquid (CTL) technology raises questions as to the direction of China’s energy policy and reflects broader geopolitical tensions within the Chinese government. Although CTL technology has been widely criticized as being environmentally unfriendly and economically unsustainable, China continues to invest in it at an astounding pace. Research proposes several possible explanations, such as corruption or local conflicts of interest, however, a critical analysis of China’s political and economic systems reveals that China’s energy policy is actually split between pursuing oil security and becoming a green hegemon. How the Chinese Communist Party decides to prioritize its energy policy will have widespread economic, environmental and political effects for decades to come.
Recommended Citation
Cote-Stemmermann, Kaela, "Coal-to-Liquid Technology: A Look at the Geopolitical Tension Behind China's Energy Strategy" (2018). Scripps Senior Theses. 1200.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/1200
Included in
Asian Studies Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, International Relations Commons, Political Economy Commons
