China promises less energy consumption, better environment

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Source: CCTV.com | 03-11-2008 13:27

China is vowing to intensify efforts to conserve energy and protect the environment and to meet the goal set by the 11th Five-year Plan of reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by 4 percent annually. That is the message from this morning's news conference held by the National People's Congress session.

Vice Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission Xie Zhenhua says China has made great progress in reducing energy consumption and emission in 2007.

Vice Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission Xie Zhenhua says China has made great progress in reducing energy consumption and emission in 2007. Energy-consumption per unit of GDP declined by more than 3 percent. Both chemical oxygen demand and the total emission of sulfur dioxide dropped.

Xie Zhenhua said, "In the past year, a large number of unsatisfactory production facilities were shut down. Ten major energy-saving projects were launched. Breakthroughs were made in carrying out desulfurizing projects for coal-fired power plants. The measures were effective. But huge challenges still remain."

Xie says this year, China will continue to close down unsatisfactory production facilities, encourage and support the development of a circular economy, and promote the recycling and reuse of renewable resources. National standards will have stricter limits for the discharge of pollutants in key river valleys.

Reduction in energy use will greatly help improve the environment. Deputy Director of the State Environment Protection Administration Zhang Lijun says China is confident and has the ability to fulfill its commitment to enuring good air quality during the Beijing Olympic Games.

Deputy Director of the State Environment Protection Administration Zhang Lijun says China is confident and has the ability to fulfill its commitment to enuring good air quality during the Beijing Olympic Games.

Zhang Lijun said, "Beijing has now established a complete air quality control system and various measures have been taken to improve the air quality and the environment, and they are effective. During the Games we will also close down or control the production of heavy-pollutant enterprises in neighboring places like Tianjin, Inner Mongolia and Hebei."

Vice Minister Xie from the NDRC says China will carry out environmental-impact evaluation and test enterprises that want to go public. Only those passing the government assessment can issue shares.

China's target is to reduce energy-consumption per unit of GDP by 4 percent annually during the 11th five-year period. Both officials say 2008 is crucial for meeting this obligatory target.

Building an environmentally friendly society that uses resources wisely takes time and effort, and sometimes even sacrifices economic interests. But the Chinese government says development is not only about a bigger economy, but a better economy. And the undertaking will be in the interest of its people and generations to come.

Editor:Zhang Ning