In this edited volume, leading environmental policy experts from China, USA, and Europe provide a contemporary view of Chinese environmental policy, analyzing current discussions among various actors and agencies. The book covers a wide range of topics including the gap between national policy goals and their local implementation, cultural and social factors shaping political behavior, legal and political systems affecting environmental policy creation and execution, new societal forces participating in environmental policymaking and governance, and local state strategies tasked with navigating a mix of political, legal, and societal forces. Featuring in-depth, empirically-grounded analyses with interdisciplinary approaches, the book is ideal reading for scholars interested in the complex nature of balancing Chinese environmental sustainability and economic growth.

Bingqiang Ren is Associate Professor in the School of Public Administration at Beihang University, China. His research interests include environmental governance, public participation, and civil society in China. His work has appeared mainly in Chinese journals such as Chinese Public Administration and Journal of the Chinese Academy of Governance.

Huisheng Shou is Lecturer of Government Department at Christopher Newport University, USA. His research focuses on comparative and international political economy, globalization, and public policies. His work has appeared in the Journal of Chinese Political Science as well as edited volumes. He was the recipient of the Best Paper Award at the 2010 annual conference of the Association of Chinese Political Science, for his study on China's welfare reform.