China's environment index measures green growth

China's Green Development Index Report for 2013, measuring green development in 30 regions and 100 cities was released on Sunday . The top 10 areas in green development include Beijing, Fujian, Hainan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Tianjin and Zhejiang, Seventeen provinces are below the national average. Green development in the eastern provinces is better than that of the central provinces. Among the 100 cities, the top ten are Haikou, Shenzhen, Karamay, Wuxi, Yantai, Qingdao, Zhanjiang, Yan'an, Beijing and Weifang. The report did not primarily aim to rank green development, but to promote the transformation of local economies and economic growth patterns. Li Xiaoxi, vice director of the academic committee of Beijing Normal University, emphasized the importance of structural analysis of urban green development and accelerating the transformation of the economic development pattern. The index consists of three parts, the degree of green economic growth, the potential of natural resources and environment, and support of government policies. Beijing Normal University, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, and the National Bureau of Statistics have jointly produced the China Green Development Index Report annually since 2010.