The Chinese economic powerhouse of Guangdong Province is number one in the country
for energy reduction endeavors in economic production.
Li Huiwu, a senior official in charge of policy research with
the Guangdong Provincial Government, said the province's energy
consumption for creating every 10,000 yuan of gross domestic
product (GDP) in the first half of the year was 0.79 tons of
standard coal. This was equivalent to 65 percent of the national
average.
"Guangdong used to be a big energy consumer and had been
punished by a range of crises such as shortages of water and fuel,
" said Li, "I don't believe resources and the environment would
sustain, not to mention development, if the previous economic
growth patterns featuring high input, high pollution, high growth,
but low output, low recycling and low benefit continued."
The provincial government last year launched seven major
energy-saving programs in a bid to promote the growth of a thrifty
society in which harmonious, sustainable economic and social
development was achieved by efficient use of resources.
The programs include the recycling of heat, energy conservation
in government institutions, petroleum substitution and energy
saving in architecture.
The province has embarked on a practice of adding indexes
regarding the development of a thrifty society and the growth of a
recycling-based economy as main factors in assessing performances
of local officials.
And positive change has achieved results in southern China which
was heralded as the country's economic pacesetter after it was
chosen to pilot the country's reforms and opening-up in 1978 and
has been prospering ever since.
In its determined efforts to overcome the energy bottleneck for
its dynamic economy and embrace the strategy of sustainable
development the Chinese government is now attaching unprecedented
importance to energy saving.
In the economic development program for the 11th five-year-plan
period (2006-2010), China has listed the goal of reducing the
energy consumption per unit GDP by 20 percent as a compulsory
objective to be attained by 2010. This year's target has been set
at a four percent decrease.
However, nationwide, China's energy consumption per unit GDP
rose by 0.8 percent in the first half year, according to the
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
To make sure its policies are implemented the country's top
planning body, the State Development and Reform Commission, in late
July signed pacts with all the provincial governments defining
their responsibilities regarding the energy-saving goals.
Before that, 1,008 enterprises with annual energy consumption
exceeding 180,000 tons of standard coal each, which are from nine
industries ranging from iron and steel making, non-ferrous, coal,
power, oil and petrochemical sectors, also agreed to participate in
the nationwide energy-saving action.
(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2006)