The local government of Zhuzhou aims to break the city's reliance on traditional heavy industry and develop a more ecologically sustainable economy.

One of the earliest industrial centers in the country, the city in the east of Central China's Hunan province was experiencing heavy pollution and resource waste only a few years ago as a result of decades of development.

Since the central government approved the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan city cluster in 2007 as a national pilot region for building an eco-friendly and energy-efficient society, Zhuzhou has been exploring new environmental strategies, taking the lead as a pillar of the cluster.