An interesting plan to achieve the targets set by the Paris climate agreement is provided by China. The commitments undertaken by governments worldwide under the Paris accord could largely be completed by shifting energy sources from carbon-based fossil fuels to zero-carbon, renewable and nuclear energy by 2050. 

China’s Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) suggests a boldest vision of approach to achieve energy transformation. According to current analysis, the total amount of carbon dioxide that humanity currently emits implies that the world has only limited period  to phase out carbon-based fossil fuels and shift entirely to renewable energy as the primary source of energy production. 

The following measures could make the energy transition possible: 

• electricity generated by coal and gas and thermal power plants need to be phased out and replaced by electricity generated by non-carbon sources (e.g. solar, wind, hydro, nuclear); 
•  building heated by boilers, radiators and furnaces fueled by oil and gas need to be replaced by building heated by electricity; 
•  vehicles (e.g. ships, heavy trucks, and airplanes) run on petroleum products need to be replaced by electric vehicles run on synthetic fuels produced with recycled carbon dioxide and renewable energy; 
•  fossil fuels that power industrial processes (e.g. steel production) needs to be replaced by electricity. 

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The world has enough non-carbon energy sources to power the global economy. In the view of China, a key step is to bring the non-carbon energy to places where they need it. China, recently also has faced the challenge of energy-transformation because the suppliers of renewable energy are mainly located in Western China while demand are concentrated on the East. To solve this problem, China has build a massive distribution grid based on ultra-high-voltage (UHV) transmission. Long-distance UHV transmission could minimizes heat loss . China intends to connect the entire world with a UHV global grid. The logic behind this proposal is that renewable energy is intermittent. By linking these intermittent sources (e.g. solar energy, wind) together, the problem of energy fluctuations could be eliminated to a certain extent. 

Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization 

China has created the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) to bring together national governments, UN agencies, grid operators, development banks and academic institutions to create a joint strategy to address the matter . In order to address certain key technology issues (e.g. artificial intelligence to manage interconnected power systems,  inductivity in power transmission, energy storage), GEIDOC is promoting research and development. GEIDOC also is putting forward international technical standards to fit power grids in a seamless global system. Besides, China is heavily investing in research and development on renewable energy generation with low cost. China’s proposal - the global energy interconnection - currently represents an interesting initiative to achieve the transition toward a zero-carbon economy.