Integrating air quality, water and climate concerns into China’s energy strategy

China needs to manage its coal-dominated energy system to curb carbon emissions, as well as to address local environmental priorities such as air pollution and water stress. Policies aimed at reducing global carbon pollution are more likely to be implemented if they can simultaneously bring local co-benefits that are highly valued in the domestic policy agenda. The talk will feature two examples in the energy space to highlight the potential synergies and tradeoffs between multiple environmental objectives: a) scaling up electric vehicles for air quality vs. carbon mitigation objectives, and b) building transmission infrastructure to address air pollution vs. water conservation goals. Both examples are evaluated by an integrated assessment method using scenario analysis, air quality modeling, and/or optimization modeling. These analyses highlight the importance of integrating carbon, air pollution and water objectives into China’s energy strategies to simultaneously address local and global sustainability challenges.