The Energy Transition in Central and Eastern Europe and China's Response to It in the Context of Russia-Ukraine Conflict:From the Perspective of Role Conflict
Role conflict refers to the situation in which an actor plays two or more roles at the same time,and these roles carry incompatible expectations.Central and Eastern European(CEE)countries have long been regarded as laggards in the energy transition within the European Union(EU),and have been reluctant to accelerate the transition in their own territories and often opposed to the implementation of radical decarbonization policies by the EU.After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict,the energy strategies of the CEE countries have undergone a major reorganization,but with conflicting roles of"active transitioners"and"passive transitioners".On the one hand,countries in the region support accelerating transitions,setting higher transition targets,increasing renewable energy production and consumption,promoting the development of large-scale projects,and rapidly improving the policy environment;on the other hand,securing the supply of fossil fuels is still the top priority of each country,and the issue of energy transition has taken a relatively low priority,many countries continue to maintain a large dependence on coal power.Based on the analytical framework of role theory,this paper proposes that the reasons for the conflicting energy roles of CEE countries include the contradiction between the expectations of energy transition and energy security,the internal conflict between striving for external interests and safeguarding the local industry,and the lack of strength and clear and specific goals for the rapid transition.In the future,CEE countries will continue to be integrated into the EU's energy transition,with the role of the"positive transitioners"becoming more prominent and the role of the"negative transitioners"weakening;regional countries'reliance on nuclear power is expected to increase,and energy links with the United States will be enhanced.China is an important partner in the energy transition of Central and Eastern Europe,and cooperation can be strengthened in the future from the dimensions of policy communication,infrastructure construction,and clean energy supply chain.
Central and Eastern EuropeEnergy TransitionRenewable EnergyRole Conflict
万方数据
