Toward effective and inclusive clean heating: A systematic review of cost-benefit analysis of clean heating in China

Abstract

Clean heating has emerged as a critical strategy for reducing air pollutant emissions from residential bulk coal use and advancing heating energy transition in China. Supported by substantial central and local government subsidies, clean heating deployment has progressed rapidly, yet concerns persist regarding affordability and long-term sustainability especially under the subsidy phase-out. Existing studies have examined the economic, environmental, and health impacts of clean heating for designing more effective and inclusive policies, but a systematic review of these evidences remains lacking. This study conducts a systematic review of 129 English-language peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2025, retrieved from the Web of Science and EBSCO databases following the PRISMA protocol. The review shows that prior research predominantly focuses on mainstream pathways, particularly coal-to-electricity and coal-to-gas transitions in Northern China. Cost assessments mainly emphasize household- and government-borne expenditures, whereas benefit evaluations concentrate on reductions in air and carbon emissions, improvements in air quality, and public health gains; social benefits, however, remain comparatively under-quantified. The review further delineates five priorities for future research, namely rigorous examination of distributional consequences under subsidy phase-out, enhancement of data timeliness and spatial-temporal granularity, incorporation of behavioral responses of heating equipment and service providers, expansion of prevailing analytical frameworks beyond current scope, deeper engagement with policy coordination. Building on these priorities, we develop an integrated cost-benefit framework designed to support more holistic evaluations to support a cleaner, more equitable, and sustainable heating transition in China.