Premier: Energy saving, pollution control targets must be met

Source: Xinhuanet | 03-05-2007 10:14

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao vowed Monday at the legislature that the government will meet the energy saving and pollution control targets between 2006 and 2010 despite last year's setback.

The Chinese government set the goal of reducing energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent and major pollutants discharge by 10 percent in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan.

Wen said in a report on the work of the government at the opening meeting of the full session of the National People's Congress, or parliament, that China's energy consumption per unit of GDP in 2006 went down 1.2 percent, and oxygen chemical demand and sulfur dioxide emission rose 1.2 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively.

He said the country fell short of the targets set at the beginning of last year for cutting energy consumption per unit of GDP by four percent and discharge of major pollutants by two percent.

"The targets can't be revised and we must work resolutely to reach them," Wen said.

He noted that the State Council, or cabinet, will make annual reports on the progress made in saving energy and reducing major pollutants discharge to the NPC starting this year, and report on the overall progress made over the past five years at the end of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period.

He blamed slow industrial restructuring and over-heated growth of the heavy industry, especially the highly energy-consuming and polluting sectors, for failure to attain the two goals.

"Lots of outdated production facilities are still in operation. Meanwhile, some local governments and companies failed to strictly comply with laws, regulations and standards on energy saving and environmental protection," Wen said.

Editor:Liu Fang