China – Government plans to address resources and recycling

The following is an extract from the full text of the Report on the Work of the Government delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the Third Session of the 10th National People‘‘s Congress on March 5, 2005.



………..We will encourage development of energy-efficient, environment-friendly automobiles, and housing and public buildings that use less energy and land. Third, we will energetically develop the recycling sector of the economy. We will increase the comprehensive utilization of resources and the recycling of resources by addressing problems concerning their exploitation, their use in production and in society, and the utilization of waste materials. We will also work vigorously to develop new and renewable energy resources. Fourth, management of the exploitation of mineral resources will be strengthened. We will rectify and standardize the order in their exploitation. We will improve the compensation mechanisms for the exploitation and utilization of mineral resources and for restoration of the natural environment. Fifth, we will energetically promote production and consumption practices that use less energy and resources, increase public awareness of the importance of conservation, and accelerate the development of a conservation-minded society.



Strengthening environmental protection and ecological improvement. We must promptly solve environmental pollution problems that seriously affect the health of the people. Focusing on prevention and control of water pollution, we will intensify efforts to clean up industrial and urban pollution and rural nonpoint pollution and to protect potable water sources. We will implement a system for strictly controlling the total amount of pollutants discharged and increase monitoring and law enforcement relating to environmental protection. We will energetically promote clean production and develop environment-friendly industries. We will continue our good work of protecting natural forests and improving grasslands and make greater efforts to bring sources of sandstorms and factors causing soil erosion under control. Our objective for this work is to ensure that people have clean water, fresh air and a better environment in which to live and work