• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Wang Tao"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie China"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie China",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "East Asia",
    "China"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Climate Change"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media
Carnegie China

Going Green Now for China

Dependence on cheap coal has resulted in high social and environmental costs for China which are only going to increase without the creation of policy framework for integrating less polluting technologies.

Link Copied
By Wang Tao
Published on Mar 12, 2014

Source: CCTV

Carnegie–Tsinghua’s Wang Tao appeared on CCTV English’s Asia Biz to share his insights on the probability of a substantial Chinese shift to green energy. He argued that dependence on cheap coal has resulted in high social and environmental costs for China which are likely to increase without the creation of policy framework for integrating less polluting technologies. The energy structure in China is already changing as the nation moves toward an economy based more on service than on heavy industry.

China’s major cities are at the forefront of efforts to tackle pollution, explained Wang, with some beginning to experiment with carbon trading incentives in order to reduce pollution. Wang also explained how the current pollution problem has made cities like Beijing less attractive places to live. Highly skilled workers, with options to work in less polluted areas, could leave if conditions worsen, he concluded. 

This video interview was originally published on CCTV English’s Asia Biz.

About the Author

Wang Tao

Former Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy

Wang Tao was a nonresident scholar in the Energy and Climate Program based at the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy.

    Recent Work

  • Article
    Xi’s Global Leadership Ambitions in the Trump Era

      Wang Tao

  • In The Media
    How the Paris Conference Is Driving China’s Gas and Oil Reforms

      Wang Tao, Yang Yifang

Wang Tao
Former Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy
Wang Tao
Climate ChangeEast AsiaChina

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Paper
    A Grand Strategy for Europe’s Clean Industrial Future

    Europe’s industrial supply chains leave it vulnerable to global shocks. The EU needs a pragmatic green industrial strategy that balances durable partnerships and bolsters homegrown clean tech without sacrificing low-carbon ambition.

      Milo McBride, Pauline Gerard

  • Commentary
    President Lee Jae Myung: A Year in Power

    President Lee marked his first year in office after one of the most tumultuous periods in South Korean politics. Though Lee has enjoyed a high approval rating, a large majority in the National Assembly, and foreign policy victories, Lee and his party’s political fortunes depend on generating economic growth, learning the right lessons from the recent local elections, and managing contentious factional strife within his political base.

      Chung Min Lee

  • Aerial view of burned-out cars and homes
    Commentary
    Emissary
    The Overlooked Link Between Disaster Response at Home and U.S. Power Abroad

    Natural disasters are no longer local incidents but sources of systemic risk that threaten vital infrastructure and the economy—and public support for international engagement.

      Leonardo Martinez-Diaz

  • Article
    China Is Building New Financial Architecture for Clean Energy Tech. It May Come with Conditions.

    China’s central bank swap lines could help developing world leaders drive their energy transition—if they harness conditionality to protect their interests.

      Ebipere K. Clark

  • Europe trade economy container supply chains
    Paper
    From Trade Dependence to Geopolitical Leverage: The EU in an Era of Weaponized Interdependence

    As geopolitical rivalry weaponizes global supply chains, the EU’s true vulnerability lies in emerging-risk imports. For these goods, suppliers are growing more concentrated, substitution more difficult, and political risk is looming.

      Sinan Ülgen

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.