Source: CCTV.com

03-11-2008 11:45

Special Report:   2008 NPC & CPPCC sessions

China says it will take tangible measures to save energy and cut pollution this year. Premier Wen Jiabao said last week that 2008 is a crucial year for the country to achieve its energy saving goals.

In its 11th Five Year Plan, for the period between 2006 and 2010, the Chinese government set a goal to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent per unit of GDP.

This means the country should reduce consumption by four percent each year. But energy consumption per unit of GDP was reduced by only 1.2 percent in 2006 and 3.3 percent in 2007, far from the country's primary goal.

The main reason for the high energy consumption is the industrial structure, of which heavy industry accounts for a big part. Plus, the price of energy and raw materials in the international market has risen in recent years. The huge demand has stimulated high-energy consuming industries to accelerate their development.

Premier Wen Jiabao emphasized the energy saving issue last week in his government work report, saying 2008 is a critical year for China to cut its energy consumption.

Dai Yande, Deputy Director of Energy Research Institute of NDRC said "Overall, China's energy saving system and relevant policies are well-established. Secondly, the government has increased its investment in these projects. Last year, about 20 billion yuan was invested into projects involving energy conservation and emission reductions. Thirdly, more responsibility has been given to local governments, energy savings and pollutant reductions are means to assess local governments' performances."

To protect the environment and save energy, the government will make full use of tax, fiscal and financial policies to further its energy-saving and pollution-cutting goals.

 

Editor:Xiong Qu