Management of Chinese Energy Sector for the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: Legislative Gaps and Emerging Judicial Trends

The study aims to review the legislative regulation of the Chinese energy sector to identify gaps in the legal framework and new trends in judicial practice that affect the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy. A comprehensive analysis of key regulatory acts such as Forest Code, Law on Renewable Energy Sources, Law on Electricity, and National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change until 2035 was carried out. International standards were evaluated and compared with the approaches of other countries. The study determined that despite the progress in creating a legal framework to support renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, significant legislative gaps exist. For instance, the legislation does not fully cover emerging technologies, such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, which are key to achieving low-carbon goals. Legal mechanisms for the integration of decentralised energy systems are also underdeveloped, which limits the use of renewable energy sources. The study noted that China has set ambitious targets, including peaking CO₂ emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. China, as the largest producer of CO₂ emissions in the world, faces a serious challenge related to emissions from fossil fuel combustion. This problem is becoming especially urgent given the country’s large-scale industrial development and its dependence on coal as the main source of energy. Findings highlight the importance of further development and harmonisation of legislation to support China’s sustainable energy development. This study can be used as a basis for improving legislative and regulatory approaches to achieving low-carbon development goals, by addressing identified legislative gaps and introducing new legal mechanisms.