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.
