Xie Zhenhua, vice director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at a press conference held on the morning of September 27, that the Chinese government has made practical contributions to saving energy and resources and addressing climate change.

Xie said that China has achieved remarkable success in energy-saving, emission reduction and addressing climate change through the significant efforts of governments at all levels. Between 2006 and 2008, China's energy consumption per unit GDP dropped 10.1 percent, and sulfur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions fell by 8.95 percent and 6.61 percent respectively. In the first half of 2009, China's energy consumption per unit GDP dropped by a further 3.35 percent, and sulfur dioxide and COD emissions dropped 5.4 percent and 2.46 percent respectively. In 2008, China's renewable energy accounted for nine percent of total primary energy consumption and the afforestation rate reached 18.21 percent.

The Chinese government has always attached great importance to saving resources, protecting the environment and addressing climate change as important breakthroughs in adjusting economic structure and changing development modes, and important contents to implement the scientific outlook on development and maintain sustained development.

The "11th Five-Year Plan" for economic and social development aims to reduce energy consumption per GDP unit by 20 percent in 2010 compared to that of 2005 and to reduce emissions of the main contaminants by about 10 percent. The plan also initiated the "National Program for Coping with Climatic Change," which clearly stipulates the guiding ideology, fundamental principles, key areas, policies and measures and detailed procedures of addressing climate change.

The program set goals for addressing climate change between 2006 and 2010, based on the precondition of energy consumption per GDP unit declining by 20 percent, the proportion of renewable energy within total primary energy increasing to about 10 percent and the afforestation rate reaching 20 percent.

By People's Daily Online