Low-carbon transition toward green recovery: policy framework after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly hampered energy transition. Globally, many are worried that energy transition is being neglected in favor of green economic recovery. This study first assesses the state of green economic development in China’s urban areas. Therefore, we propose a low-carbon energy transition road plan for the post-pandemic age and provide a global analysis of the interplay between the energy transition and COVID-19. We examine the barriers to a smooth energy transition during the pandemic from the vantage points of governmental backing, carbon fuel divestment, renewable generation capacity, global distribution chain, and energy poverty. The pandemic created possibilities for a worldwide energy shift. Therefore, we also pinpoint possible windows of opportunity for energy transition afforded by the outbreak from the viewpoints of cost-effectiveness, policy execution efficacy, and renewable energy. Our findings have important implications for post-pandemic green recovery plans and provide new insights into a global low-carbon energy transition framework.