Translating energy justice: Public perceptions and institutional logics of industrial decarbonization in China

Industrial decarbonization is rapidly transforming employment structures and regional economies in major carbon emitting countries. Yet both conceptual foundations and empirical work on energy justice remain geographically concentrated in WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) societies. Existing research leaves limited insight into how the Chinese public understands and responds to justice concerns arising during decarbonization. Drawing on a mixed-methods design that combines an original cross-sectional online quota survey (N = 1,042) with 52 semi-structured expert interviews conducted across China, we examine how distributive, procedural, recognition, and cosmopolitan justice are reflected in respondents’ views on industrial decarbonization and analyze the institutional logics underlying these perceptions. The findings show that these views center on visible policy benefits, livelihood-related costs, and responsibility allocation. Procedural concerns extend beyond participation to transparent implementation, reliable enforcement, differentiated policy application, and information that supports oversight. Recognition justice is shaped by the visibility of different forms of vulnerability, while cosmopolitan justice is interpreted through competing narratives of historical responsibility, the right to development, South-South cooperation, and external pressure. These findings suggest that institutional context shapes how respondents translate abstract justice principles into judgments about policy goals, implementation approaches, responsible actors, and affected groups. For policy, the findings point to the need to clarify government and industry responsibilities for transition costs and limit the transfer of these costs to consumers. Public participation may be most meaningful when it informs compensation and support for affected groups.