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Beijing's Five Year Pollution Plan

China Fails to Reach Environmental Goals

Beijing had set itself amitious new targets to save energy and cut pollution. But one year into its new Five Year Plan the communist country has been forced to admit that it has failed miserably.

AP

Cars drive through a haze of pollution in Beijing.

The official newspaper China Daily reported on Wednesday that China had "flunked the first test" in meeting goals aimed at saving energy and protecting the environment. Officials admitted that the ambitious targets it had set in its latest Five Year Plan had not been reached last year.

The new targets form part of China's 2006-2010 Five Year Plan, and called for energy consumption per unit of GDP to be cut by 20 percent, while polluting emissions were to be cut by 10 percent. The target set for 2006 had been to reduce consumption by 4 percent and pollution emissions by 2 percent. In fact, things went in the wrong direction: there was an increase in energy consumption in the first half of 2006.

"Nationwide, it is certain that last year's targets could not be achieved," official Han Wenke told the China Daily. Only Beijing and five other cities or provinces managed to cut emissions by 2 percent.

There were already signals from the Chinese leadership that things were not going to plan. National Development and Reform Minister Ma Kai said in December, "It is extremely hard to achieve this year's goal." He blamed the country's industrial structure and a lack of supportive policies. He also warned of difficulties in the future with heavy-polluting industries continuing to be set up.

Other Chinese leaders also admitted that the country had failed to fulfill its committments on pollution. "2006 has been a grim year for China's environmental situation," Deputy Environment Minister Pan Yue, was quoted as saying on the Web site of the China's Environmental Agency (Sepa).

With 1.32 billion people China is the world's most populous country and it has been experiencing rapid economic growth of around 10 percent a year. Much of China's air pollution comes from coal-burning power stations and car exhaust fumes. In fact on Thursday the Chinese automotive industry proudly announced that car sales had increased by a whopping 36.9 percent in 2006.

smd/bbc/AP/ens/china daily

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