Environment and Energy Stream

Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base, Ningxia 2025. Photo by Sarah Rogers.

Research Stream: Environment and Energy

The research stream on environment and energy at the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies examines the rapid changes taking place in China’s energy production, longer-term changes to environmental governance and politics (particularly in relation to water and agrochemicals), and China’s growing involvement in global environmental governance. The cluster brings together geographers who study these changes on the ground in specific places. Past research has examined Chinese investment in hydropower and palm oil in Indonesia and the impacts of the mega South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Current research focuses on China’s net zero transition, water and waste governance, resettlement, agrochemicals, and China’s climate cooperation in Southeast Asia.

Stream Coordinator: Sarah Rogers

Current Projects

Kemdiktisaintek - LPDP - KONEKSI Project - Strengthening Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Standards and Practices for a Just Transition

This project is examining the ESG standards and practices of different donors and actors in Indonesia's green transition. Our three case studies of geothermal and hydropower projects are in Central Sulawesi, West Sumatra, and East Nusa Tenggara.

Team: Sarah Rogers, Trissia Wijaya, Ardhitya Eduard Yeremia, Suraya Afiff, Brooke Wilmsen, Xian Han, Sri Setiawati, La Husen Zuada, Pantoro Tri Kuswardono.

CCCS Seed Funding – China’s Climate Cooperation in Southeast Asia

This project examines the volume, source, destination countries, sectors, and key players in China’s climate finance in Southeast Asia. The team is analysing the scale and nature of China’s investments to understand what they reveal about south-south climate cooperation and shifting development geographies.

Team: Justin See, Sarah Rogers, Mengyao Li, Xiaoxuan Chen, Miles Kenney-Lazar, Xiao Han (Monash University), Brooke Wilmsen (La Trobe University), Kevin Lo (Hong Kong Baptist University), Tyler Harlan (Loyola Marymount University), Ardhitya Yeremia Lalisang (Universitas Indonesia).

Chinese Agrochemicals in Australian Farming

This project is examining the role of Chinese fertilisers and pesticides in Australia’s agrochemical supply. Data collection is being undertaken through interviews with suppliers, agronomists, and peak bodies, and industry events.

Team: Sarah Rogers, Yue Zhao, Sonia Graham (University of Wollongong), Brooke Wilmsen (La Trobe University), Zoe Wang (James Cook University)

Graduate Researchers

  • Ricky Chen
  • Mengyao Li
  • Shenquan Li
  • Dongyang Mi
  • Zac Lowell

Latest Publications

  • Liu, Z., Rogers, S (2026) Flooding and injustice in Ningbo, China, Geographical Research
  • Chen, R.Y.Z., Wang, R.Y., Wang, M (2026) China's digitalised water governance and authoritarian environmentalism, Geographical Research
  • Rogers (2025) Pesticide infrastructures: From China to Australia, Roadsides, Vol 14
  • Xu, Rogers, Veldwisch, Melsen, Han, Boelens (2025) Towards a critical understanding of digital twins: The politics of digitalizing rivers in China,Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space
  • Wilmsen, Yeremia, Rogers, Afiff (2025) Rupture and its temporalities at Indonesia’s Jatigede Dam, Water Alternatives 18(2)
  • Yeremia, Rogers, Tan, Afiff, Talib (2025) “Fence culture”: Grounding global China in Kalimantan, Eurasian Geography and Economics
  • Mi, Browne, Iossifova, Petrova (2025) Everyday geographies of uneven water infrastructures and practices in China, Geographical Research
  • Li & Liu (2025) “We know nothing except fishing”: Fishing bans under China’s ecological civilisation, Geographical Research
  • Zhao & Rogers (2024) Tracing China’s agrochemical complex, World Development, 131
  • Zhu, A., Weins, N., Lu, J., Harlan, T., Qian, J., & Barbi, F. 2024. China’s nature-based solutions in the Global South: Evidence from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Global Environmental Change 86: 102842.
  • Liu, Zhen, Rogers, Browne (2024) Worlding Chinese environmental geographies: A systematic, bilingual literature review, Progress in Environmental Geography, 3(1)
  • Lamb, Rogers, Wang (2024) The fence ‘didn’t work’: The mundane engagements and material practices of state-led development in China’s Danjiangkou Reservoir, Territory, Politics, Governance, 12(2)
  • Harlan, T. 2023. Low-carbon frontier: Renewable energy and the new resource boom in western China, The China Quarterly 255: 591-610.