Establishment and development of Ecological Economics in China over the past three decades

The establishment of China’s Ecological Economics was proposed by the famous economist Prof. XU Dixin in 1980. Over the past 34 years since its establishment, Ecological Economics has developed into an interdisciplinary subject combined with natural sciences and social sciences. Its emergence met the demand of human society for entering the Ecological Epoch. The past three decades has witnessed the foundation of eco-economic theories and the emergence of various guiding thoughts and policy suggestions which have made great contributions to China’s modernization and reform. The guiding ideology of "coordination between ecology and economy" has been widely acknowledged by governments and people, and the concept of "ecological economy" has enjoyed popular support among the general public, which both play increasingly important roles in guiding practice and have major infl uences around the world.