China moves to boost energy saving to meet 5-year goal

BEIJING - The Chinese government will adopt stricter measures to boost energy conservation this year to meet the goal set by an important five-year plan, Xie Zhenhua, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said Wednesday.

"It's the last and decisive year for us to realize the goals set by our country's 11th Five-Year Plan," Xie said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

"The current energy conservation situation lags far behind the goal set in our plan and our task is still formidable," said Xie, one of China's leading negotiators for climate change talks.

Under the 11th Five-Year Plan ending this year, China pledged to cut energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 percent, or four percent each year, but consumption fell by a margin much smaller than the set target during the past four years.

The per unit GDP energy consumption fell only 14.38 percent from the 2005 level.

Xie said the Chinese government will enact a series of measures this year to boost energy conservation, including the introduction of an accountability mechanism for provincial governments and tight control of projects of high energy consumption and high pollution.

China announced in November it aimed to reduce the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP in 2020 by 40 to 45 percent compared with 2005 levels.