4. Increasing efforts to conserve energy, reduce emissions and protect the environment, and ensuring product quality and safety.

This year is crucial for meeting the obligatory targets for energy conservation and emissions reduction set forth in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, and we must increase our sense of urgency and intensify efforts to make greater progress.

First, we will implement the plan to close down backward production facilities in the electricity, steel, cement, coal and papermaking industries. We will also put in place a mechanism for closing down these facilities and improve and implement support policies and measures for shutting down enterprises. In addition, we will step up efforts to develop advanced production facilities in these industries in accordance with the plan.

Second, we will focus on energy conservation in key enterprises and construction of key projects. We need to accelerate work on the ten major energy conservation projects. We will increase the urban sewage treatment capacity and strive to reach the goal of 100 percent collection and treatment of sewage in 36 large cities within two years. Charges for discharging wastewater and for sewage treatment and garbage disposal will be appropriately raised. Building standards will be upgraded and strictly enforced to encourage the development of better wall materials and construction of energy-efficient buildings. We will make steady progress in reforming the urban heating system and public utilities.

Third, we will develop and apply advanced and appropriate technologies to save, replace and reuse resources and control pollution, and carry out projects to develop and demonstrate major energy conservation and emissions reduction technologies. We will energetically develop the energy conservation service industry and the environmental protection industry. We will develop clean and renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar energy.

Fourth, we will prevent and control pollution in key river valleys and regions, including the Huai, Hai, Liao and Songhua rivers, Tai, Chao and Dianchi lakes, the sources and routes of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and the Three Gorges Reservoir area. We will implement the master plan for protecting the environment of the Bohai Sea. National standards will have stricter limits for discharge of pollutants in key river valleys.

Fifth, we will intensify protection of rural drinking water sources, and work to control sewage and garbage pollution and industrial pollution in rural areas. We will also strengthen control of pollution from livestock and poultry farming and aquaculture as well as agricultural nonpoint source pollution.

Sixth, we will encourage and support the development of a circular economy and promote recycling and reuse of renewable resources. We will also promote cleaner production in all industries.

Seventh, we will strengthen efforts to protect, conserve and intensively use natural resources, including land, water, grasslands, forests and minerals, and take stern measures to combat illegal mining of mineral resources. We will effectively protect marine resources, use them wisely, and develop the marine economy. We will intensify China's basic research efforts in meteorology, earthquake science, and surveying and mapping to strengthen these areas.

Eighth, we will implement the national plan to respond to climate change to strengthen China's ability to respond to climate change.

Ninth, we will improve the mechanism for rewarding those who conserve energy and resources and protect the environment and punishing those who waste energy and resources and harm the environment. We will also employ statistical and monitoring systems for conserving energy and reducing emissions, and improve the auditing and supervision systems, increase law enforcement efforts, and tighten the accountability system for energy conservation and emissions reduction.

Tenth, we will enhance public awareness of the importance of a culture of conservation and encourage the entire nation to participate in building a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society. Resource conservation and environmental protection must continue from generation to generation to make our mountains greener, waters cleaner and skies bluer.

We will intensify efforts to ensure product quality and safety.

First, we will accelerate efforts to formulate or update national standards for product quality and safety. This year, we will complete the formulation or updating of more than 7,700 national standards for the safety of food products, drugs and other consumer goods to put in place a sound system of standards for product safety. All requirements and testing methods for the safety and quality of food and other consumer goods will comply with international standards. China's exports will meet both international standards and the laws and regulations on technical standards of the importing countries.

Second, we will improve legal guarantees for product quality and safety. We need to promptly enact or revise laws and regulations pertaining to product quality and safety, and improve the mechanism for effectively coordinating administrative law enforcement and criminal justice to increase punishment for enterprises that violate such laws and regulations.

Third, we will improve the oversight and control systems for product quality and safety. We will follow to the letter the regulations for issuing production permits and mandatory certificates and for registration and record keeping to strictly control market access. We will raise the requirements for production permits and tighten market access for products related to people's health and safety. We need to strengthen quality and safety oversight for essential products such as food and drugs, and strictly control the quality of exports and imports. We will diligently follow the accountability system for product quality and safety. It is imperative that the people feel confident about the safety of food and other consumer goods and that our exports have a good reputation.