China to step up support for green sector: top economic planner

BEIJING - China's top economic planner has pledged more efforts to support the green sector after the country fulfilled its energy-saving targets and saw the environment improve in the first half of this year.

A national plan will be drafted on the development of energy-saving and environmentally friendly industries for the 2016-2020 period, according to a latest statement from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The government will encourage more qualified companies to issue green bonds, the NDRC said.

It will also consider setting up a fund to support the green industry and attract private investment.

Tax breaks will continue for firms using energy-saving and environmentally friendly equipment, the NDRC noted.

It said China made headway in energy saving and environmental protection in the first six months, with the energy consumption per 10,000 yuan ($1,500) of GDP dropping 5.2 percent year on year, exceeding the annual target of 3.4 percent.

The country also saw lower emissions of major pollutants, with the density of PM2.5, a type of particulate matter that causes hazardous smog, falling 9.3 percent year on year.

In the first half, 338 cities saw the number of days with good air quality reach 76.7 percent of all days in the period, up from 72.7 percent a year earlier, NDRC figures showed.