Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has vowed the government will adopt more effective measures in ensuring the country's energy consumption and pollution reduction targets stated as part of the Chinese government's 2006-2010 five-year plan are met.
The State Council, China's cabinet, held a national teleconference on energy conservation and pollution reduction in Beijing on Friday.
Wen Jiabao said at the meeting that China will continue to rein in the rapid growth of sectors with high energy consumption and high pollution.
The Chinese Premier laid out a set of measures in this regard. He said China will accelerate the structural adjustment of industries with outdated production capacites. The government will support enterprises to upgrade their equipment, in order to conserve energy and reduce pollution. The Premier said the country's key enterprises will be especially targeted in this campaign.
Meanwhile, the country will promote recycling economy and clean-production nationwide. Fiscal and tax policies will be strengthened towards these ends. A compensation mechanism will be established to repair ecological deterioration caused by production.
Also on Friday, more than 200 officials and experts gathered in Beijing to generate ideas on China's upcoming Energy Law.
The law being drafted will be the country's first fundamental and comprehensive energy law.
In his keynote speech at the seminar, Chinese Vice Premier, Zeng Peiyan, said the law will address issues impacting overall energy development and provide a legal framework for energy supply, preservation and cooperation.
China has set a goal to slash its energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent and the discharges of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 10 percent between 2006 and 2010.
However, the country only lowered its energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 1.2 percent last year - well short of its four percent target.
(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2007)
