21 May 2007 - 11:05
  • News ID: 105156

BEIJING: China, the ‘world’s factory’, has launched a new project to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by targeting rural enterprises.

Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a technological transformation programme is helping 100 rural enterprises save China 451,000 tons of coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.13 million tons annually, vice-minister for agriculture, Mr Wei Chaoan said.

Only eight firms signed up for the project in March 2001 when it was launched with a fund of $8 million from GEF.

The project aims to help Chinese rural enterprises in the brick-making, cement, foundry and coking sectors reduce GHG emissions by improving their production methods.

Statistics show rural enterprises in the four sectors account for 16.7 per cent of China’s carbon dioxide emissions and use up 56 per cent of the energy consumed by all Chinese rural firms.

China has 23 million rural enterprises, producing 30 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and providing 143 million unskilled farmers with job opportunities.

“These enterprises used to be bedevilled with environmental problems such as low energy efficiency, high consumption and heavy pollution”, an official with the Project of Energy Efficiency and GHG Emissions Reduction for Chinese Rural Enterprises, Mr Wang Xiwu said. The 100 rural enterprises were chosen as “role models” to encourage more firms to take part in the programme, as well as to exhibit the government’s resolution in reducing greenhouse gas. Mr Wei said an increasing number of rural enterprises had voluntarily signed mid and long-term pledges with local governments, promising to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions, another official with the ministry of agriculture said. The government, in turn, has allowed them to enjoy preferential policies in tax payments, fund raising and technological research.

 

Pin/PTI

News ID 105156

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