China declared its first medium and long term special plan for energy saving since the country launched the reform and opening up policy on November 25.

In this milestone blueprint, four goals are defined for energy saving. Every 10,000 worth of GDP will cost 2.25 tons of standard coal by 2010 and 1.54 tons by 2020, compared with 2.68 tons in 2002. This means a 3 percent annual decrease of energy consumption from 2003 to 2020. In this way, 1.4 billion tons of standard coal, or 111 percent of the gross planned production which would have given off 210 million tons of sulphur dioxide, will be saved.

The energy consumption per unit for major products is expected to be up to the 1990s' international standard by 2010 and keep pace with the international standard by 2020. The efficiency gap between China's newly equipped outfits and those at the world's advanced level will be bridged by 2010 and China will catch up the world��s leaders in this respect by 2020.

And an energy saving framework integrating legal, policy and technical systems will be in place by 2010 which matches well with the country's market economy.

The vision is regarded as of great significance in building an energy-saving society where the pressure of energy and environment is eased off. At the press conference making the scheme public, an official with the State Development and Reform Commission detailed the principles, priorities and measures to ensure the fulfillment of the targets.

A two-pronged approach: industry and policy is embedded in the principles. The neo-industrialization is the way to go in which energy-saving plays an important role. The structures of the industry, products and energy consumption all need to be upgraded with more advanced technologies. This underpins the significance of the development of the tertiary and hi-tech industries.

The market, of course, plays the leading role in allocating the resources. Further reform is believed to be the right direction toward a well-functioned market where enterprises are the main players. In this process, the government must always be there to navigate the economy.

Laws and policies will be worked out to serve as incentives to curb the businesses, buildings and products which are created at the prices of heavy energy consumption and poor efficiency.

All of these, the official stressed, cannot be possible without the participation of the whole community.

The key fields and projects in the country's energy-saving vision are also identified as the industry, transportation, construction, and equipment for commercial and civil purpose. Specifically, the energy saving for the industry will focus on power, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, oil and petro-chemicals, chemicals, construction materials, coal and machinery. The transportation sector will target at newly added vehicles. The construction sector will make efforts on the implementation of energy-saving designs. And higher standard will be employed to have equipment for commercial and civil use run more efficiently.

To ensure the fulfillment of the targets, energy saving is supposed to top on the agenda of strategy planning for local economy and policy making for finance, taxation, and prices. More attention should be given to the chapter concerning energy saving in projects feasibility study reports.

The roadmap released yesterday also proposed to work on an array of polices. The first is to coordinate the energy and environmental policies. For example, there will be more coal-fired power generation. Power should account for more in the energy consumption.

Industrial policy to promote the structural adjustment should be in place to accelerate the high value added tertiary industry with low energy consumption, boost the hi-tech industry and upgrade the traditional sectors with hi-tech and advanced technologies.

The policy to give more incentive to energy saving is also necessary. Catalogues of energy-efficient equipment (products) should be available as soon as possible. Production and using the products on the list will enjoy favorable policies. Energy saving products will be included in the government procurement catalogue. And the government will extend financial assistance to some key energy saving projects and R&D activities.

R&D on key and state-of-art technologies of energy saving will be sponsored by the government. And demonstration key projects for energy saving will be launched. On the other hand, advanced energy saving technologies developed by other countries will be adopted.

The official also mentioned the promotion of advanced and mature new technologies, new techniques, new equipment and new materials. He revealed that the Guideline for China's Energy Saving Technologies Policy would be revised to channel the investment of businesses and financial institutions.

More support will be given, he said, to the development and commercialization of energy technologies in the national medium and long term sci-tech vision and the national hi-tech industry programs.

He finally declared that a base for general technologies and equipment for energy saving would be built.

The same day six Chinese giants, CNPC, Anshan Iron and Steel, Baosteel, China Aluminum, Huaneng Power and China First Automobile, made a call in a proposal to central enterprises for achieving the France de performance in consumption of energy, water and material after 3 to years of efforts. It also highlights the prospect of catching up with the world's leaders in some sectors by one third of the central businesses.

The six urged a prompt action of all their peers to launch a comprehensive campaign of saving the energy.

By People's Daily Online