The present research analyzes, compares and discusses China’s efforts to green its domestic power sector and Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in energy between 2013 and 2018....Show moreThe present research analyzes, compares and discusses China’s efforts to green its domestic power sector and Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in energy between 2013 and 2018. Chinese policies, regulations and guidelines concerning both are considered. Both quantitative data and qualitative data is included in the discussion. Green economics and green development are the lens through which the findings have been observed and interpreted. The ultimate result of the research is that, even though the power mix of Chinese OFDI in energy in 2018 had a higher percentage of renewable energy than China’s domestic power mix (37% versus 12%), the policies regulating China’s power sector are tailored to make it green, namely by reducing the consumption and production of fossil energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and increasing the share of renewable energy in China’s total energy mix. On the other hand, guidelines concerning the environmental dimension of Chinese OFDI do not make any concrete and enforceable efforts to green investments. Only the policies aimed at encouraging OFDI in renewable energy seem to have the effect of greening Chinese OFDI in energy.Show less
The 2008 US presidential election was notable for many reasons. Concerning environmental issues, both candidates, Barack Obama for the Democrats, and John McCain for the Republicans, took distance...Show moreThe 2008 US presidential election was notable for many reasons. Concerning environmental issues, both candidates, Barack Obama for the Democrats, and John McCain for the Republicans, took distance from the Bush administration. Obama’s victory more than ever brought a sparkle of hope for change. Environmentalists both in the United States and worldwide were pleased from his first actions as president, that looked up to what he campaigned the months before. This thesis analyses Obama’s rhetoric and practice on energy and climate change from his first presidential campaign trail in 2008 until the end of his second mandate in 2016, in order to assess whether he ‘walked the talk’ on environmental matters. Moreover, it considers Obama’s position as an environmentalist, by looking at the energy security discourse and at its implications for climate change and global security.Show less
