Inefficient factories to be phased out [ 2007-06-28 16:49 ]
Shanghai will phase out
businesses and projects that consume large amounts of energy or produce large
amounts of pollution, said a report endorsed Wednesday by the city's
legislature.
Shanghai will keep close watch over energy-intensive and
heavy-polluting industries and indicate in the city's development policies that
such enterprises are not welcome, according to the report, which was presented
by the municipal government and approved by the standing committee of the
municipal people's congress.
Jiang Ping, deputy secretary of the
Shanghai municipal government, said the city had been sticking to its pledge
last year to reduce energy consumption, but there was still much to be done.
Jiang said that in order for the city to meet its 2010 target of cutting
energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of industrial output by 20 percent, the
municipal government has specified goals for every sector. For example, the
manufacturing sector is to cut energy consumption by 30 percent, services by 15
percent and construction by 15 percent.
It has also published plans to
restructure its industrial base and last year closed more than 640 enterprises
with low output. More than 80 consulting companies have been set up to help
businesses find ways to save energy.
At the same time, more clean energy
is being produced. This year, 2.65 billion cu m of natural gas will be pumped
into Shanghai, 300 million more cubic meters than last year.
And the
city is building more energy-efficient buildings.
Some 29 million sq m
of residential construction, and more than 6 million sq m of public buildings
that conform to the new rules were built last year. More than 6 million old
buildings were refurbished to meet the new standards.
The temperature in
government office buildings is to be kept above 26 C, and employees are
encouraged not to wear suits.
But challenges remain.
In a survey
of 111 major energy-consuming enterprises, nearly 70 percent said there were few
options available to reduce their demand for energy.
Yu Dexiong, a
deputy to the standing committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress,
said the percentage of buildings that meet the new energy-saving standards is
low.
"Before 2006, it was only 10 percent," he said.
And only 10
percent of highrises clean their central air-conditioning systems regularly, a
step that would save electricity.
The report proposed that stricter
controls on energy consumption be adopted.
For example, it said that new
projects should be evaluated according to their energy demand, and that
low-output power plants and small
cement and steel plants be closed.
(China Daily 06/28/2007 page 5)
Vocabulary:
phase out:逐步淘汰
power plant:发电厂
Questions:
1. How many consulting companies
have been set up to help businesses save energy?
2. How much natural gas
will be pumped into Shanghai this year?
3. What percent of highrises
clean their central air conditioning systems regularly?
Answers:
1. More than 80.
2. 2.65 billion
cubic meters.
3. 10 percent.
(英语点津 Linda 编辑)
About the broadcaster:
Matt Doran is an award-winning American newspaper journalist and an
undergraduate student at Albion College. He is currently a polisher for China
Daily Website and is on summer break from Beijing Foreign Studies University,
where he will resume his study of Chinese in the fall.
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