Quoting an official from the National Development and Reform
Commission, it said that in 2005, China expended an average of 1.22
tonnes of standard coal per RMB10,000, which the government plans to
reduce to 0.98 tonnes by 2010.

During an energy conference in Beijing, Zhang Lijun, Vice Minister of
the State Environmental Protection Administration, confirmed that
China consumed half the world's cement, 30 per cent of its iron and 15
per cent of its energy output in 2006. In addition, 70 per cent of
China's rivers were polluted, and one-third of its cities were
blanketed with highly polluted air.

To reach the new goal, China would need to reduce coal usage by 560
million tonnes between 2005 and 2010, assuming annual GDP growth of
7.5 per cent. In 2006, China's energy consumption per unit of GDP
declined for the first time in three years, with energy consumption
dropping by 60 kilogrammes of coal per RMB10,000 compared to 2005,
said Huang Shuhe, Vice Chairman of the state-owned Assets Supervision
and Administration Commission of the State Council.

Statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics indicate that
China's energy consumption per unit of GDP fell by 2.78 per cent in
the first half of this year.

Last update : Tuesday, 28 August 2007

Keywords : Coal Dependency, Energy, Pollution,

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