国内英语新闻:Premier Wen says more efforts needed to cut emissions, conserve energy

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday called for more efforts to cut emissions and conserve energy to meet the country's target set by the 11th Five-Year Plan.

According to the plan laid out in 2006, China will cut its per unit GDP energy consumption by 20 percent compared with 2005 levels by the end of 2010.

The task of fulfilling the goal was still tough , Wen said at a State Council meeting, adding that this year would be particularly difficult as the first quarter had already seen rising energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) in the major industrial sectors.

In the first three months, six major industries, including steel, power and non-ferrous, saw a 3.2 percent growth in energy consumption per unit of GDP, Wen said.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) addresses a State Council meeting of conserving energy and cutting emissions in Beijing, China, on May 5, 2010. Wen Jiabao called for more efforts to cut emissions and conserve energy to meet the country's target set by the 11th Five-Year Plan on Wednesday.

This came after a decline for the previous four years to 2009 of 14.38 percent.

"We can never break our pledge, stagger our resolution, or weaken our efforts, no matter how difficult it is," Wen said.