China, the world's largest energy user, is studying how to enforce a total cap on energy consumption by setting targets for local governments, the Xinhua news agency said, citing a government report. China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases from human activity that are causing global warming, and is also trying to limit dependence on imported fossil fuels.
The proposed total energy gap is intended to slow emissions growth and fuel consumption by setting quotas, and some details of how China could enforce the cap were disclosed by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the nation's top economic planner, in a report to the parliament, Xinhua reported late on Friday. Industry officials have said Beijing is considering limiting national energy consumption to 4.1 billion tonnes of coal equivalent (TCE) by 2015. The cap would still allow for a 26 percent increase in total energy consumption in the next five years, with total consumption at 3.25 billion tonnes of coal equivalent in 2010.
The central government will set up rules to impose limits on energy use at the local level and give early warning if there is excessive growth of energy-intensive sectors, Xinhua said, quoting the NDRC proposal. The report proposed "taking the total consumption control target and allocating it at the local government level, enhancing the scrutiny and oversight, and implementing an administrative responsibility management system for the goal," said Xinhua.
The Chinese government often uses such "responsibility" rules to peg local officials' promotion prospects directly to implementing central goals. "Establish a total energy consumption forecast and warning mechanism, with prompt warning and adjustment for areas where energy consumption grows too quickly," said the report, according to Xinhua.