Racing to the Top

Climate change, energy transition, U.S. relative decline, and Chinese ascent are all ongoing processes. Their linkages, however, have not yet been fully defined. Climate change makes transitioning from non-renewable fuels to alternative energy a key area for any country to develop, and, in the past, energy transitions have been central to the rise of new system leaders. In our time, the likelihood of a successful response to global warming and effective systemic leadership hinge on which state leads in replacing carbon for non-carbon energy sources in fueling their economies.