China will step up its efforts in saving energy and reducing emissions in the coming two years in a bid to improve quality of econoic growth. The country’s top economic planner says it’s facing an urgent task of energy conservation and emission reduction.
Fighting pollution and climate change have been proving a tough job. Despite all efforts throughout the years, China Nitric oxide emission has risen rather than dropped in 2011 and 2012.
"During the first two years of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), China’s aggregate energy consumption per unit of GDP dropped by 5.5 percent, only meeting 32.7 percent of the Five-Year Plan target; and the nitrogen oxide emission actually increased by 2.8 percent. To realize the 12th Five-Year Plan goal, China must reduce its annual energy consumption by 3.84 percent and annual nitrogen oxide emission by 4.3 percent over the next three years." Xie Zhenhua, Vice Minister, Nat'l Dev't and Reform Commission said.
The country has been trying to step up use of green energies, such as wind, nuclear, and solar, but the outcome is less than satisfying. According to the commission, consumption of non-fossil energy only accounts for 9.4 percent of the country’s total primary energy use in 2012. This means China needs to improve clean energy consumption by 2 percent in the next two years, in order to reach its goal of 11.4 percent. The NDRC said the use of fossil energy has badly damaged air quality.
"Unbalanced industrial development of regional economies is an important reason for air pollution. For example one third of the country’s coal power production comes from the region including Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province. This region’s steel and coking productions have each taken up a half of the national total. " Xie Zhenhua said.
Xie points out industrial integration is essential to solve the problems. He said 2014 will be a critical year to achieve the energy saving and emission reduction target, with 100 million tons standard coal to be saved. He also calls for controlling coal consumption and preparing for more strict standards for motor vehicle exhaust emissions.
Source: CCTV
