Diverse and uneven pathways towards transition to low carbon development: the case of solar PV technology in China

Transition towards low carbon development is an urgent challenge for the global community. As increased economic activities usually result in more carbon emissions, the transition process is particularly critical for rapidly growing emerging economies. This paper reviews the literature that deals with sustainable transition, in particular the multilevel perspective framework, to identify challenges specific to developing countries. After reviewing the literature, the paper looks at the case of Chinese solar photovoltaic technology to link the conceptual discussion with a practical example.