Guangdong aims to lower energy consumption per 10,000 yuan (US$1,233) GDP by 16 per cent by the year 2010 and the output of its industry is expected to constitute 45 per cent of its GDP by that date.

The deputy director said Guangdong has been putting much effort into improving its environment, which is equally important for sustainable development.

According to sources, 70 per cent of the rain in the booming Pearl River Delta is acid rain, as compared to 40 per cent for the whole country, and water in the province's many rivers is not up to standard.

Li said Guangdong is accelerating the use of clean energy by power plants.

The province also plans to lower the emission of key pollutants - sulphur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand (COD) - by 15 per cent by 2010.

All small thermal power plants will be closed down by next year, and the bigger ones will be installed with desulphuration equipment by 2008.

The province will also increase the daily capacity of sewage disposal by 2010.

Li said the province's investment in environment protection will account for at least 3 per cent of its annual GDP from 2006-10 to generate a satisfactory green GDP.

Officials at different levels in the province's 21 cities have been given energy-saving targets and performance measures in environmental protection. These two factors will be taken into account when evaluating their administrative performance.

Xu Junbin, an assistant professor with South China Normal University's economics department, said Guangdong faces a tough task to maintain a stable economic growth of 9 per cent while reducing energy consumption by 16 per cent and improving the environment.

(China Daily 12/11/2006 page3)

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