Against the urgent global imperative to combat climate change, achieving carbon neutrality and driving a low-carbon transformation of energy systems have become central pillars of national strategies worldwide. As the world’s largest emitter and leading investor in renewable energy, China has embedded its “dual carbon” goals—carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060—into its broader ecological civilization framework, demonstrating strong commitment to the Paris Agreement and contributing significantly to global climate governance. This systemic transition demands more than technological advancement; it requires deep synergy among policy frameworks, market mechanisms, industrial ecosystems, and societal behavior.

Reflecting this momentum, Clarivate’s 2025 Research Fronts report identifies “China’s Pathways to Carbon Neutrality and Low-Carbon Energy Transition” and “Assessment of Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy Effects” among the top 10 research frontiers in ecological and environmental sciences. Concurrently, China’s State Council has issued the “Opinion on Accelerating Scenario Cultivation and Opening to Promote Large-Scale Application of New Scenarios,” calling for scaled deployment of clean energy across transportation, industry, agriculture, and logistics sectors to accelerate green development.

In this context, this special issue—Pathways to Carbon Neutrality and Low-Carbon Energy Transition in China: Policy, Technology, and Systemic Innovation—aims to assemble high-quality research that explores multidimensional strategies underpinning China’s carbon neutrality journey, with particular emphasis on the dynamic interplay among policy design, technological innovation, and systemic integration. We seek contributions that offer both theoretical rigor and practical relevance for academics, industry leaders, and policymakers.

Key topics of interest include:

1. Policy and Governance Innovation: National carbon neutrality roadmaps, carbon pricing (e.g., national ETS), regional and sectoral transition policies, green finance mechanisms, and international climate cooperation;
2. Key Technologies and System Integration: High-penetration renewable integration, next-generation power systems, energy storage and hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), deep decarbonization in industry and transport, and negative emissions technologies (e.g., BECCS, DAC);
3. Systems Analysis and Cross-Domain Synergies: Integrated assessment models (e.g., CGE, IAM) linking energy, economy, and environment; transition risks and resilience; digital enablers (AI, big data, IoT); behavioral shifts and social acceptance; and just transition strategies ensuring equity and regional balance.

We warmly invite submissions of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and insightful case studies to advance the knowledge frontier and practical implementation of carbon neutrality and energy transition.