China's Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Plan for 2014-2015 Released, Accelerating Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Development. On May 26, the General Office of the State Council of China issued the "Action Plan for Energy Conservation, Emission Reduction and Low-Carbon Development (2014-2015)," outlining specific targets for energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon reduction for the next two years. Industry analysts believe that the energy conservation and environmental protection sector is expected to benefit from this. The Action Plan sets specific targets for energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon reduction for the next two years: from 2014 to 2015, energy consumption per unit of GDP, chemical oxygen demand, sulfur dioxide, ammonia nitrogen, and nitrogen oxide emissions should decrease by more than 3.9%, 2%, 2%, 2%, and 5% respectively annually. The Action Plan clarifies 30 specific measures to promote energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon reduction in eight aspects: 1. Vigorously promote industrial restructuring; 2. Accelerate the construction of energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon reduction projects; 3. Focus on energy conservation and carbon reduction in key areas; 4. Strengthen technological support; 5. Further strengthen policy support; 6. Actively promote market-oriented energy conservation and emission reduction mechanisms; 7. Strengthen monitoring, early warning, and supervision; and 8. Implement target responsibilities. The plan also proposes that by 2015, the total output value of the energy conservation and environmental protection industry will reach 4.5 trillion yuan. Energy conservation and emission reduction have always been one of the important tasks of the Chinese government. The 12th Five-Year Plan clearly set binding targets for reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP, and reducing the total emissions of major pollutants. However, it is worth noting that the completion of some targets from 2011 to 2013 lagged behind the required schedule. Xu Shaoshi, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, recently addressed the National People's Congress...
