The new line-up of China's State Council, nominated by Premier Wen Jiabao, won approval of lawmakers at the seventh plenary meeting of the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress on Mar. 17.

Among total 27 State Council Cabinet Member ministries, the Ministry of Environmental Protection is one newly established. Mr. Zhou Shengxian, the former SEPA head, is appointed as the Minister, the Ministry of Environmental Protection at the same day.

China's parliament adopts government reshuffle plan

The National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese parliament, adopted a government reshuffle plan at NPC plenary meeting on Mar. 15.

The plan involves the establishment of five "super ministries" -- ministry of industry and information, ministry of human resources and social security, ministry of environmental protection, ministry of housing and urban-rural construction, and ministry of transport, plus a ministerial-level energy commission.

The plan includes the elevation of the State Environmental Protection Administration to the ministry of environmental protection.

According to the reshuffle plan, China will also establish a national energy commission, an inter-ministerial consultation and coordination body, and a state energy bureau, which will be under the jurisdiction of the NDRC.

The reshuffle involves 15 government departments and reduces the number of Cabinet ministries and commissions to 27 from 28.

Premier Wen Jiabao: Energy Consumption, Pollution Drops

China reported reductions in energy consumption as well as chemical oxygen demand and total sulfur dioxide emission last year, Premier Wen Jiabao said at the annual parliament session on Mar. 5.

In 2007, China saw a 3.27 percent year-on-year drop in energy consumption for each unit of GDP, Wen said in his report to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress.

For the first time in recent years, China reported a reduction in both chemical oxygen demand and the total emission of sulfur dioxide, by 3.14 percent and 4.66 percent respectively from the previous year, he said.

Wen attributed the reductions to the nation's energy conservation and environment protection efforts in the past five years.

"We gave high priority to conserving resources and protecting the environment," he said. "Obligatory targets for saving energy and reducing emissions were set in the Outline of the 11Eleventh Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development."

He said China had shut down a large number of backward production facilities, including small thermal power plants with a total capacity of 21.57 million kW, 11,200 small coal mines, backward iron smelting facilities with a total capacity of 46.59 million tons, backward steel plants with a total capacity of 37.47 million tons and cement plants with a total capacity of 87 million tons.

Meanwhile, the country launched 10 major energy-saving projects and made breakthroughs in carrying out desulfurizing projects for coal-fired power plants, Wen said.

On the other hand, the central government provided financial support for 691 projects to prevent and control water pollution in major river valleys.

China also persisted with ecological conservation projects protecting natural forests and curbing sandstorms in Beijing and Tianjin, retiring farmland for forestation and returning grazing land to natural grasslands.

China to Take Seven Measures on Energy Conservation, Emission Reduction

On 11 March, the First Session of the 11th NPC held a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. NDRC Vice Minister Xie Zhenhua and Zhang Lijun, Vice Minister of State Environmental Protection Administration, answered reporters' questions on the environment, resources, and energy conservation and emission reduction.

Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, stressed that China would introduce seven major measures this year to promote the work of energy conservation and emission reduction.

Firstly, China will step up the target assessment of energy conservation and emission reduction. Secondly, China will further carry out industrial restructuring. Third, China will increase the intensity of eliminating outdated production capacities. Fourth, China will give prominence to promoting energy conservation and emission reduction in key enterprises and major projects. Fifth, China will promote the development of a circular economy. Sixth, China will improve and perfect its various economic policies that help boost energy conservation and emission reduction. We must not rely solely on administrative means, but should also rely on legal means. Seventh, China will intensify inspection over law enforcement.

Zhang Lijun said when answering a question posed by a report: The central government has the confidence to meet the target of cutting down the emission of two major pollutants by 10 per cent by the end of the 11th Five-Year Programme period. This is mainly based on reasons in the following three aspects: Firstly, the party Central Committee and the State Council have assigned great importance to the work of energy conservation and emission reduction as well as the work of environmental protection. Secondly, local party committees and governments at all levels have attached great importance to energy conservation and emission reduction. Third, the country's capability of environmental protection, monitoring, and control has been constantly strengthened.

When talking about the major obstacles currently faced by energy conservation and emission reduction, Zhang Lijun noted: firstly, enterprises causing heavy pollution and high energy consumption have been growing at an excessively fast speed. Secondly, some localities have failed to pay sufficient attention to environmental protection, and have engaged themselves in blind development. Third, leaders at the grassroots level in a small number of localities have yet to assign great importance to environmental protection or the work of energy conservation and emission reduction. Fourth, environmental supervision and control lacks sufficient intensity and power. "Nevertheless, these are all problems that have emerged in the course of development, and are solvable through our efforts."

(Resource: Xinhua News)