Editor's note: As the central government pushes for a lower carbon and more environmentally friendly economy, Shanxi, a coal-rich province, is also implementing a new growth program to reduce reliance on coal and transform its economy to become more diverse.

At a summit forum during the ongoing China Taiyuan International Energy Industry Expo, business leaders, government officials and experts from home and abroad outlined international practices and offered suggestions for Shanxi, as well as China, as it develops a more energy-efficient economy.

Dr Jonathan Sinton, China program manager at the International Energy Agency's Directorate of Global Energy Dialogue