Following  a year and a half long period of study and facilitating discussions, the Chatham House has put out what I have found to be the most comprehensive set of documents on environmental NGOs in China.

Covering nearly every topic imaginable on these organizations, there are currently 7 documents on their site:

• Report - Strengthening the Cooperation between Chinese Environmental NGOs and the Media, Dec 06
• Workshop Report - Strengthening the Cooperation between Chinese Environmental NGOs and the Media, Nov 06
• Workshop Report - Forging Alliances for Environmental Protection Between NGOs in Different Regions and Sectors, Jan 07
• Workshop Report - Environmental NGOs: Using Legal Means to Promote Better Environmental Governance, Apr 07
• Workshop Report - How Can Environmental NGOs Strengthen Cooperation with the Government?, Jun 07
• Research Report - Forging Alliances for Environmental Protection between NGOs in Different Regions and Sectors, Jun 07
• Research Report - How Can Environmental NGOs Strengthen Cooperation with the Government?, May 08

For anyone who is involved in CSR in China, who manages an NGO, who is looking to better understand the context by which NGOs in China operate, I suggest you read these documents.

Having already read through most of them myself, I can say wth confidence that they present the best picture of the history of NGOs in China, the hurdles they face, the opportunities they have, and the role of the government through this.