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Local environmental policy has recently become the topic of academic research and practices within the context of increased integration of the ecological dimension in the existing regulation of economies and societies, and space. Based on these discussions, local environmental policy is not merely an issue of ecological technology; rather, it is more a question of social power, in particular the power of the state and its ability to balance other forces and demands placed on it by society. The paper draws on this theoretical discussion to capture the multidimensionality of the power relations involved in the approaches to local ecological policy. The evolution of the policy agenda in the city of Shenzhen provides a paradigmatic example of the way in which policies can be shaped by the political considerations that surround and act between nature, governmental departments and society. The empirical results show that the ecological conservation policy of the city has shifted away from comparatively weak ecological regulations towards a stronger set of principles. The comparatively stronger ecological regulatory regime is best understood as a ‘biophysical fix’ that has been shaped by various forces originating in broader economic, social and institutional struggles.