CRI听力：China Says Energy Efficiency Up, Emissions Down

China says its energy consumption per unit of the gross domestic product, or GDP, has reduced rapidly since last year. As a result of the implementation of pollution-reduction and energy-saving programs, ecological environmental pollution levels have been reduced.

Our reporter Shen Ting has more.

Reporter:

"Every unit, every family and every individual should contribute to national energy saving and ecological environmental protection."

Zeng Peiyan, Vice Premier of China, made the appeal. The government is now publishing its theory of energy conservation and ecological environmental protection.

As early as 2003, China adopted the vision of what is calls Scientific Approach to Development. It emphasized the importance of balancing economic growth, source utilization and ecological environmental protection in order to realize sustainable development.

In recent years, China has made energy conservation and ecological environmental protection an important part of the government's work and promoted its policies. Also, the Chinese government has asked enterprises for technology reform to improve light efficiency and reduce toxic emissions.

Li Rongrong, the head of the Chinese state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, said that a reward-and-punishment system for large state-owned businesses will cause reform on the issue.

"Major enterprises must work hard to reduce energy and water consumption, as well as toxic emissions. It is expected that more than one third of Chinese enterprises' energy efficiency and toxic emissions levels would achieve the international advanced standards."

Chinese government also uses energy efficiency and pollution reduction as a parameter of evaluating local officials' performances. Dong Hongyun, Mayor of Lvliang in North China's Shanxi province says some investment projects were stopped because of environmental concerns.

"As a developing area in China, we need fast economic growth. Business people related to the stopped programs feel bad. I also have the same feeling. But it is true that we must abandon the programs with heavy pollution for the health of 200 thousand Lvliang citizens."

According to the authorities, Chinese energy consumption per unit GDP began reducing since last year. The rising national rate of total pollution discharge has also slowed.

However, China still has a long way to go to achieve its ultimate goal. With its recent publications, China is now trying to make energy saving and ecological environmental protection a part of everyone's life.

Shen Ting, CRI.