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The rise of China as an economic superpower after the 2008 global financial crisis has attracted increasing worldwide attention. Securing access to ample and affordable energy supplies — energy-supply security — has underpinned its rise and will continue to contribute to its economic prosperity. This chapter examines China’s energy-security challenge with respect to its policies. The global energy system is currently undergoing a multi-energy transition away from fossil fuels: the powers will take different paths, creating competition between one another and thus between energy sources. The development of China’s energy-security policies and challenges as well as climate change, both at home and abroad, will therefore shape this competition and the global energy transition in the coming decades.

In the past few decades, precipitation across North America and Europe has become increasingly more acidic having an immense effect on the ecosystem. Any rain below the natural pH level is considered acid rain. Acid rain primarily occurs when extraneous sulfur dioxide is released into the atmosphere and mixes with the air; nitric oxide, typically from burning of fossil fuels, is a secondary cause. First being discovered in the mid-20th century, the phenomena has had detrimental effects on lakes, rivers, soils, plants, and the overall environments that cannot neutralize water. This chapter thoroughly covers the history, causes, and environmental effects of acid rain.

Renewable energy costs are now below those of fossil fuels. Five years ago, fossil fuels were the cheapest baseload. The collapse in renewable costs means that for 85% of the world, renewable electricity is the cheapest source of new baseload. By the early 2020s it will be every major country. Because of the rise of cheap renewables, the fossil fuel system is ripe for disruption. This disruption will be having profound financial implications for investors as a quarter of equity markets and half of corporate bond markets are “carbon entangled”…