Green light for hard targets

Energy-saving and emission-reduction goals in new five-year plan will drive development of a low-carbon economy

Five-year plans (FYPs), which set down and clarify national strategy, are one of China's most important policy tools. They will play a pivotal role in putting the country on a green development path.

FYPs embody the concept of progressing by degrees, developing step by step. To reach a new step in development every five years is the methodology underpinning China's socialist modernization. This approach has been one of the driving forces behind China's economic progress in recent decades, and will now provide the platform for its green development. Climate change presents a long-term and all-encompassing challenge for China. It demands a long-term development strategy and broad goals, as well as near-term action plans and concrete policies.