Cost could curb China’s gas appetite
The post-Tiananmen Square compact of rising living standards in return for political obedience may prioritise affordable residential energy over blue skies
An unpalatable truth it may be, but, in China, clean urban air and camera-friendly blue skies may be a ‘nice to have’. On the other hand, guaranteed affordable household energy, from any source, is core business. Thus, if the ruling Communist Party has to make a choice between cutting pollution and household bills rising to consumer-hurting levels, it is only going to jump one way. In addition, energy security is inextricably linked with China’s overall stability. Should gas import dependency reach levels that concern the authorities, it could further motivate a slowdown in the switch from coal to gas. Chinese gas demand growth rates of 15pc and 18pc in 2017 and 2018 were largely due to a fo
Also in this section
2 January 2025
A renewed push for oil and gas production in the US combined with a continued focus on decarbonisation are just two of the trends to look out for in the coming year
2 January 2025
The climate narrative has centred on phasing out fossil fuels in favour of renewables and novel solutions, but increasingly, policymakers are realising the importance of hydrocarbons as an enabler of the transition
2 January 2025
Global population growth is leading to ever-rising demand for reliable and affordable energy, a need gas is perfectly placed to meet
31 December 2024
With a raft of scare stories around peak demand and climate change, 2025 should be the year smart investors leave the Big Oil bogeyman to the stuff of child’s play
