CHINA:China fell drastically short of its widely trumpeted targets to reduce pollution and rein in energy use last year, a top official said yesterday, describing 2006 as a "grim" year for the environment.
Dirty air and poisoned water are forcing their way on to the political agenda in China, and top officials have made public statements about improving the environment before it starts to have destabilising consequences.
"Dismal" failure to do anything about the country's environmental woes in 2006 was met with unusually sharp criticism in the official Chinese media.
Last year began with dreams of marrying strong economic growth with responsible energy use, making a 4 per cent reduction in the amount of energy used per dollar of national income and encouraging the use of renewable resources.
However, Pan Yue, deputy head of the State Environmental Protection Administration, said this was not to be. "2006 has been the grimmest year for China's environmental situation. The goals set out by the cabinet at the start of the year, of cutting energy intensity by 4 per cent and emissions of pollutants by 2 per cent have absolutely not been achieved," Mr Pan said on the watchdog's website.
China is heavily reliant on coal-fired power stations for its energy needs, which are generally highly polluting.
Rampant construction in the cities has led to tonnes of construction dust in the air, while the millions of new cars on the roads of China's cities have poisoned the air with exhaust fumes.
The goal set for the Five-Year Plan (2006-10) was to cut energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 per cent as well as key pollutant discharge by 10 per cent.
But energy consumption per unit of GDP actually rose 0.8 per cent in the first half of last year, the China Daily newspaper reported.
Instead of cutting emissions, China has become the world's top emitter of acid rain-causing sulphur dioxide. And adding to China's environmental woes, a top forestry official said the country could face worse forest fires this year because of global warming.
High-ranking officials put their weight behind the ambitious targets and introduced new schemes such as linking the pay and career prospects of civil servants to their success in implementing energy-saving programmes, but to no avail.
"From a nationwide perspective, it is certain that last year's energy-consumption reduction goal could not be achieved," said Han Wenke, director of an energy research unit of the influential National Development and Reform Commission.
Of China's 31 provinces and self-governing cities, only Beijing and five other regions managed to meet the state-set goals, the China Daily reported.
Despite choking sandstorms in the spring, unusually high rainfall later in the year reportedly led to better skies during the year.