China’s 2035 NDC target further indicates the phased goals of national low-carbon transformation. As the main emitter of carbon emissions in China and a fundamental pillar industry of the national economy, the power sector bears the heavy burden of achieving the carbon peak before 2030 and the NDC target by 2035 in an orderly manner. Although boosting with significant advancements in renewable energy deployment, China’s power system is confronted with numerous new challenges in the coming decade: how to balance emissions abatement in the power system and other sectors, how to balance emissions abatement and resource adequacy in the power sector, how to provide proper flexibility resources to accommodate 3600GW wind and solar in the power system, etc. This calls for papers, supported by the International Society for Energy Transition Studies, aim to explore feasible pathways to break through the bottleneck of low-carbon power transition towards China’s NDC target by 2035.

We welcome theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Quantitative decomposition of emission reduction pathways in the power industry towards China’s 2035 NDCs
• Collaborative decarbonization pathways between the power industry and other high emission industries
• Provision of flexibility resources for high-share renewable power systems
• Cost benefit analysis and policy tools for low-carbon power system transition
• Differentiated strategies and collaborative mechanisms for low-carbon transition of regional power systems
• Design of collaborative mechanism between power market and carbon market
• International comparison and experience reference for China’s low-carbon power system transition

Guest Editors

Xunpeng (Roc) Shi, Professor, University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

Email: xunpeng.shi@uts.edu.au

Xunpeng (Roc) Shi is a Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and Sustainability at the University of Technology Sydney and a Research Principal at UTS Australia-China Relations Institute. He is also the President of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS). He was listed as Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers, Australia's leading researcher in the field of Environmental Law and Policy (2020), the Elsevier top 2% of the world’s top scientists in the energy field. He currently advises UN ESCAP on the sustainable development of critical minerals and serves on the UN Secretary-General’s Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development. He has also advised organizations such as ADB, Ember, the Global Gas Center, and APEC Sustainable Energy Center (APSEC) with some roles ongoing. He serves as an editor for the ISETS–Springer Book Series on Climate Change and Energy Transition (https://link.springer.com/series/17226),  a co-Editor of Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy (SSCI), an associate editor of China and World Economy (SSCI), Energy Economics (SSCI, A*) and other editorial roles for more than 10 journals.

Muyi Yang, Secretary, International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS)

Email: muyi@ember-energy.org

Muyi Yang is the Secretary of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS), an international professional network of over 2,300 members across more than 100 countries dedicated to advancing research, dialogue, and collaboration on transitions towards a clean and more sustainable energy future. Dr. Yang has extensive experience in teaching, research, and consulting, and specialises in energy policy across China, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. His areas of focus include electricity market reform, clean energy finance, coal power phase-down, transport electrification, energy governance, and the political economy of energy transitions.

Jiahai Yuan, Professor, North China Electric Power University (NCEPU)

Email: yuanjh126@126.com

Jiahai Yuan is a Professor of Management Science and Engineering in the School of Economics and Management at North China Electric Power University, Beijing. He was a visiting scholar at the Erb Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor from 2011 to 2012. His research interests span the economic, policy, regulatory, and social dimensions of sustainable energy system transition in China. He was listed as the Scopus Highly Cited China Researchers in the field of Management Science & Engineering, and the Elsevier top 2% of the world’s top scientists in the field of Environmental Science. His current research focuses on the social & physical resilience of renewable power systems. He serves as the roles of editorial board in many journals including Utilities Policy (SSCI), Advances in Climate Change Research (SCIE) etc.

Submission information

Submissions address: https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/jecm
Journal homepage: https://www.sciopen.com/journal/3006-9203
E-mail: ecm@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Contact way: B608C, Xueyan Building, Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
Tel: +86-10-83470577
Guide for Authors will be helpful for your future contributions, read more: Guide for authors
Papers submitted for this special issue are subject to a rigorous peer review procedure before being rapidly and widely disseminated. Upon its acceptance, the paper will go into production immediately, and then be published online in a regular issue.

Important dates

Full Paper Submission Deadline: August 31, 2026

Publication: As soon as accepted (VSI)