The first Chinese province to calculate "green GDP" - eco nomic production less environmental costs - has concluded it barely grew during the country's expansion over the past two decades.

Shanxi province, a coal-mining heartland south west of Beijing, found that in 2002 its green GDP was a mere 66 per cent of the officially announced Rmb134bn ($16.2bn, €13bn, £8.9bn) if costs incurred through environmental degradation and resource exploitation were counted.