Urban environmental governance innovations in China

China's system of environmental governance is changing rapidly, resulting in new environmental institutions and practices. State authorities rule increasingly via laws and decentralise environmental policymaking and implementation. Non-state actors ¿ both private companies and (organised) citizens ¿ are given and taking more responsibilities and tasks in environmental governance. This results in new relations between state, market and civil society in environmental governance, with more emphasis on efficiency, accountability and legitimacy. The diffusion of these governance innovations throughout China as well as their environmental effectiveness will be focal points for future researc