China´s economic stimulus plans benefit environment

Source: Xinhua | 03-10-2009 20:53

by Xinhua writer Zhu Shaobin

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A message from the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), or the parliament, tells saving energy and protecting environment is a big government agenda, though keeping a "steady and relatively fast" economic growth is a paramount task amid the global economic crisis.

China approved a massive 4-trillion yuan (about 586 billion U.S. dollars) two-year investment plan last November to curb economic downturn, but this precludes boosting economic growth at the cost of environment.

The 4-trillion yuan spending list also included a 210 billion yuan investment in environmental protection and energy conservation, said Zhang Ping, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner at a press conference during the NPC session.

In the government report by Premier Wen Jiabao during the annual session contents concerning environmental protection were obviously available.

He said the country is facing problems such as severe environmental pollution and high energy- and- resources intensity, but government policies would not miss environment.

Some hard facts: China's seven major water systems, including the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, were ''mildly" polluted; more than half the 500 cities and counties monitored reported cases of acid rain, according to the annual report on environment for 2007 by the Environmental Monitoring of China under the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

And China is a major carbon emitter, with about 19 percent of the global emissions of CO2, according to a World Energy Council report published in 2008.

While preventing the already cooling economy from further sliding would be the top task of the government this year, Wen said China would continue its drive toward energy conservation, emissions reduction, and environmental protection.