Chinese lawmakers worried over energy efficiency, emissions

BEIJING -- Senior Chinese lawmakers on Wednesday expressed concerns over the country's low energy efficiency and high emissions, as a recent report suggested that China is lagging behind its energy conservation and emission reduction targets.

Members of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) held panel discussions on Wednesday

Coal industry digs for solutions

Big change needed to tackle smog

afternoon on the report drafted by the State Council, China's cabinet.

According to the report, though China has made great efforts in cutting emissions and energy use, it still faces serious challenges due to its development pattern and poor technology.

China has targets for emission cuts and energy saving in its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), under which energy consumption per unit of GDP should decrease by 16 percent and carbon dioxide emissions should drop by 17 percent by 2015 from the levels of 2010.

By 2013, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP have dropped by 9.03 percent and 10.68 percent respectively from 2010 levels, but the country is still facing "a grim situation" in order to meet its 2015 targets, the report said.

"China is facing considerable challenges in its energy conservation and emission reduction initiatives," said Miao Xuegang, a deputy to the NPC and head of the environmental protection department of Anhui province.

He added that the country's extensive growth model was to blame here.

"We say that development is the answer to everything. But we should not just pursue any old development," Miao said, adding that it is sustainable development that the country should really be after.

Senior lawmakers agreed that concrete measures must be taken to enhance supervision and that a stricter accountability system is needed in order to meet the 12th Five-Year Plan targets.

Li Shiming, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, said the targets should be broken down to different regions and strict timetables should be formulated.

Law enforcement and supervision must also be strengthened, and an assessment system for officials in charge of energy conservation and emission reduction should be set up and put into use, he said.