China's Sustainability Transitions

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xviii

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2. Sustainable Development and Climate Change

   • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

   Pages 1-9

3. Cities and Climate-Resilient Development

   • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

   Pages 11-19

4. Summarising Key Carbon Reduction Co-benefits

   • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

   Pages 21-32

5. Low Carbon Transitions: A Global Overview

   • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

   Pages 33-52

6. Decarbonised Race and New Destination in China

   • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

   Pages 53-69

7. Urban Evolution Under Low Carbon Strategies

   • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

   Pages 71-101

8. Overview of China’s Low Carbon Progress: Policies and Initiatives

   • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

   Pages 103-117

9. Low Carbon Transitions: Practices and Lessons

   • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

   Pages 119-137

10. Learning from Main Low Carbon Strategies

    • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

    Pages 139-158

11. Evaluating China’s Recent Low Carbon Progress

    • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

    Pages 159-175

12. Lessons and Paradigms to Meet the 2030 Targets and the 2060 Plan

    • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

    Pages 177-187

13. Key Suggestions and Steps Ahead for China’s Carbon Neutrality Plan

    • Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

    Pages 189-206

14. Back Matter

    Pages 207-215

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This book considers the impact of global climate change, advocating to promote sustainable development from the perspective of low carbon and climate resilience, by reducing carbon emissions in different aspects of urban and regional development. As the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, China is continuously exploring a sustainable path to achieve the momentous goal of 2060 carbon neutrality. In addition, this book reviews and summarizes China's green development and predicts the transformation of China's carbon emission and energy structure before and after the peak of carbon emission in 2030. It examines the role of governance in decarbonization efforts, focusing on decision making processes, policies and regulations, as well as the significance of regions, cities, and communities. This book highlights typical methods of implementing and achieving low carbon development in light of China's practical situation, which helps to resolve some of the problems that may arise in achieving the carbon neutral goal. Therefore, this book is suitable for the reference of scholars in low-carbon environment science, sustainable urban development, and other related fields. It also provides inspiration for China's medium and long-term sustainable development plans in the future.

• Low Carbon
• Sustainability Transition
• Sustainable Development
• Climate Change
• Low Carbon City
• 2060 carbon neutrality goal
• Low Carbon Transition
• Carbon Neutral
• Carbon footprint

• University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China

  Ali Cheshmehzangi, Hengcai Chen

Ali CHESHMEHZANGI

Ali Cheshmehzangi is a Professor of Architecture and Urban Design with a Ph.D. Degree in Architecture and Urban Design, a Master’s Degree (M.Arch.) in Urban Design, a Graduate Certificate in Professional Studies in Architecture, and a Bachelor Degree (B.A. Hons.) in Architecture. He is an urbanist and urban designer by profession and by heart. He studies cities and city transitions, sustainable urbanism, and integrated urban design strategies. Ali is Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies (CSET), and Director of Urban Innovation Lab at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). He is also a Specially-Appointed Professor at Hiroshima University, Japan. Currently, he works on two research projects on ‘Integrated Urban Modelling Framework’, and ‘ICT-based smart technologies for resilient cities’. Some of his previous projects are: ‘smart eco-cities in China and Europe’, ‘low-carbon town planning in China’, ‘green infrastructure of cities’, ‘nature-based solutions in China’, ‘toolkit for resilient cities’, ‘sponge city program’ and ‘green development in China’, ‘low carbon and climate-resilient planning’, and other urban transition studies. So far, Ali has +95 published journal papers and seven other published books. His books are titled ‘Designing Cooler Cities’ (2017), the award-winning ‘Eco-development in China’ (2018), ‘Sustainable Urban Development in the Age of Climate Change’ (2019), ‘Identity of Cities and City of Identities’ (2020), ‘The City in Need’ (2020), ‘Urban Memory in City Transitions’ (2021), and ‘Sustainable Urbanism in China’ (2021). He is currently editing a volume on ‘Green Infrastructure in Chinese Cities’.

Hengcai CHEN

Hengcai Chen is a Research Associate in Urban Studies at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). He obtained a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Urban & Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Urban & Rural Planning from Xiamen University and Fuzhou University, Fujian, China, respectively. He is an enthusiastic and passionate urban planner who is keen to explore new ideas in urban-related research. So far, his research interest in centered on overarching areas of urban sustainability and low-carbon city. Hengcai is currently engaged in several urban-related research studies while preparing to continue his further education at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. His goal is to continue research on urban sustainability studies, especially in the context of China.