"The move will see at least a 30 percent reduction in energy consumption in the construction sector if all buildings are equipped with this metering system."

The Ministry of Environmental Protection will work with other ministries to hammer out 22 detailed policies that will help realize goals in the action plan, Zhai Qing, vice-minister of environmental protection, said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Chai Fahe, vice-president of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, said that the ‘front-runner' project aims to reward companies with the lowest emissions or energy use per unit of production.

He said the government is paying more attention to using economic instruments to promote environmental protection, a method that can save resources.

The suggestion was also made to reward regional governments that improve air quality, instead of simply giving them money for clean-air projects, Chai said.

Device management

The central government also passed a revision to the regulation on the management of medical devices on Wednesday, as part of a move to reduce accidents involving such devices and push for an upgrade of the industry.

The revision to the Regulations for the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices further raises the threshold for the production and operation of high-risk medical devices and simplifies procedures for low-risk products.

Production and operation facilities must assume responsibilities for the quality control and safety management of medical devices, according to a statement released after the meeting.

The amended regulation also increased the punishments for illegal activities and encourages innovation efforts by enterprises to develop better products.

The regulation, first passed by the State Council in 2000, focused on units or individuals engaged in the research and development, production, distribution, use, supervision and administration of medical devices.

The number of accidents involving medical devices in China has grown steadily since 2009, according to the China Food and Drug Administration.

In 2012, China reported more than 180,000 accidents involving the use of medical equipment, of which 108 were fatal, according to the administration. The number increased 49 percent from 2011.

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