Assessing APEC's Role in Urban Energy Transitions and the Environmental Impact: A Comparative Analysis of China, Japan, and Singapore

Authors

  • Wendkuuni Steve Harold Kaghembega

    Department of National Energy Storage Technology Industry-Education Integration Innovation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; APEC Sustainable Energy Center, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
  • Zhu Li

    Department of National Energy Storage Technology Industry-Education Integration Innovation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; APEC Sustainable Energy Center, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
  • Pengfei Xie

    Department of National Energy Storage Technology Industry-Education Integration Innovation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; APEC Sustainable Energy Center, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
  • Yujiao Huo

    Department of National Energy Storage Technology Industry-Education Integration Innovation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; APEC Sustainable Energy Center, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i4.12953
Received: 31 December 2025 | Revised: 7 March 2026 | Accepted: 11 March 2026 | Published Online: 14 April 2026

Abstract

This study evaluates the role of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in shaping urban energy transitions through a comparative analysis of China, Japan, and Singapore. Although regional cooperation has become an important complement to global climate governance, empirical evidence of APEC's substantive influence on urban decarbonization remains limited. The research integrates qualitative institutional analysis with quantitative assessment using a panel dataset and the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways framework, employing Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5 (SSP5) to examine environmental trajectories under fossil-fuel-intensive growth conditions. The findings show that APEC operates primarily through soft governance mechanisms policy coordination, knowledge diffusion, and technical cooperation rather than binding regulatory instruments. Its influence appears in the strategic alignment of national and municipal energy policies with regional low-carbon frameworks, though implementation pathways diverge according to domestic institutional configurations. China adopts a centralized, state-led model of clean energy urbanization; Japan advances technologically driven smart energy systems within a decentralized governance structure; and Singapore applies an integrated, data-driven sustainability framework emphasizing regulatory coherence and performance benchmarking. Scenario results under SSP5 reveal persistent structural coupling between economic growth and carbon emissions across all three economies. China's economic scale generates substantial emissions from coal- and oil-intensive sectors, while Japan's continued reliance on fossil fuels and liquefied natural gas constrains deeper decoupling despite lower energy intensity and Singapore's CO₂ emissions, strong dependence on imported fossil fuels, making its carbon footprint largely embedded in regional supply chains.

Keywords:

APEC; Clean Energy; Low Carbon Model Town; Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)

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How to Cite

Kaghembega, W. S. H., Li, Z., Xie, P., & Huo, Y. (2026). Assessing APEC’s Role in Urban Energy Transitions and the Environmental Impact: A Comparative Analysis of China, Japan, and Singapore. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 8(4), 130–142. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i4.12953

Issue

Vol. 8 , Iss. 4 (April 2026)

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Article

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Copyright © 2026 Wendkuuni Steve Harold Kaghembega, Zhu Li, Pengfei Xie, Yujiao Huo

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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