China has become a regional powerhouse, a middle-income country and home to the world’s largest middle class. Its GDP has grown from $400 billion in 1971 to more than $13 trillion in 2012 (purchasing power parity, 2005 US$). The government aims to double GDP per capita once again, from its 2010 level, by 2020. Incidents of smog in Beijing have captured political attention and moved environmental considerations up the priority list. Middle-class aspirations are driving discussions of improved services. The economic slowdown and financial turmoil have revealed the limits of state power and added to the determination to re-focus the economy, update the country’s fuel-mix and prioritize demand-side management. In the previous workshop this was viewed through the lens of sustainable development and the desire to create what we referred to as the ‘Golden Economy’
