China has worked on energy saving and emission reduction by adjusting its economic structure and development pattern. Let’s take a look at the country’s efforts to pursue APEC’s primary goal of "supporting sustainable economic growth and prosperity, for the peoples’ common interests in the Asia-Pacific region".

In 2005 China adjusted its Eleventh Five Year Plan goals. The target reduction of energy consumption per unit GDP was increased by 20% and total emissions of pollutants by 10%.

It then issued a National Climate Change Programme in 2007, which outlined goals, principles and policy measures to tackle climate change.

Two years later, the NPC Standing Committee resolved to include active responses to climate change in the national economic and social development plan.

And by the end of 2010, the green development goals had been achieved. But challenges face China in the new Five Year Plan. Continuing green development comes at a cost to its development speed and employment.

Han Wenke, director of Energy Research Institute, NDRC, said, "China now faces daunting tasks to further reduce emissions before 2020. To change the old extensive pattern of development means to eliminate a lot of old equipment, which will lead to heavy job loss. Further, to develop renewable energy is also very costly because we need to introduce a great deal of advanced technologies and apply them to our current production pattern."

At 2009’s UN Climate Change Summit, President Hu Jintao vowed to further cut CO2 emission by 2020. In the same year, the goal for CO2 emission per unit GDP was reduced by 40 to 45 percent compared with 2005.

Han Wenke, director of Energy Research Institute, NDRC, said, "In the Eleventh Five Year Plan, China strictly controlled the growth of high energy consumption industries. We will continue to follow this policy in the next five years."

Analysts say adopting more environment-friendly technologies in the Twelfth Five Year Plan would aid the country’s sustainable economic development in the long run. There will be less reliance on non-renewable energy sources. To develop a clean and renewable energy-based economy will remain as China’s top priority in next five years.

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