中国誓言加强环境保护

China approved a series of plans to establish a stricter system for supervision over environmental protection work on Wednesday.

In a meeting of the country's leading group for overall reform, President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of the balance between economic development and environmental protection. Several plans were passed at the meeting, including the establishment of an independent audit of officials on natural resource assets, and a plan to hold officials who damage the environment responsible.

Wednesday's meeting comes after China made fresh pledges on curbing climate change, setting out ambitious targets to cut its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP, by 60 to 65 percent on 2005 levels by 2030. China also pledged to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in the country's primary energy consumption sector to about 20 percent.

This comes after a previous goal was set in 2009, that aimed to cut carbon intensity by 40-45 percent, and increase the consumption of renewable energy to 15 percent of the primary energy sector by 20-20.

China also vowed to continue to increase its forest growing stock volume, a primary index to measure forest resources.