In what central government officials called a "turning point" in
environmental protection, energy use per unit of gross domestic
product (GDP) dropped 3 percent in the first nine months, compared
to 2.78 percent in the first half.
Xie Zhenhua, vice-minister of the National Development and
Reform Commission, said yesterday that the latest figure shows that
"the efforts we have made are starting to take effect, although
there are demanding tasks ahead".
When revealing the figures to international environmental
experts on Wednesday, Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan also said that
during the first nine months, there was a 1.81 percent fall in
sulfur dioxide emissions, and a 0.28 percent fall in chemical
oxygen demand (COD), a key measure of water pollution.
It was the first time in recent years that the country witnessed
the "double fall".
Most heavy industries, from steelmakers to construction material
producers, reduced their energy bills.
Zhu Hongren, an NDRC official, told China Daily that
larger enterprises had been leading the energy conservation
campaign.
In first half, he said, energy use per unit of industrial output
for companies with annual sales over 5 million yuan ($670,000)
dropped by up to 3.87 percent.
At the same time, the official said, large batches of small iron
and steel works, coking mills, paper mills, and chemical and dying
plants have either been shut down or are being closed.
The government plans to lower energy use per unit of GDP by 20
percent during the 2006-10 period, or 4 percent each year. But last
year, it could only manage to lower the index by 1.33 percent.
Xie vowed that Beijing will take more economic, legal and
administrative measures to make sure that the country meets the
target.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, in terms of energy use per
unit of industrial output, coal mining saw an annualized fall of
7.76 percent; steel industry, 6.49 percent; construction materials
makers, 7.84 percent; chemical industry, 5.17 percent; and power
companies 2.57 percent.
But the oil and petrochemical industry saw a rise of 1.27
percent; and nonferrous metal producers, 1.58 percent.
(China Daily November 30, 2007)
