Emissions Underachievers to be Held Accountable

Zhou Shengxian, Minister of Environmental Protection, signed the agreements with 31 provincial-level governments, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and eight state-owned enterprises at the National Environmental Protection Conference, held the week of December 19, 2011. The State Council stated the central government will conduct annual performance evaluations of provincial governments in emission reduction and pollution control efforts, and hold underachievers accountable.

The agreements specify mandatory emission reduction targets and pollution control targets local governments and enterprises are supposed to meet over the next four years to 2015. The agreement lists major emission reduction projects that signatories have to fulfill within the timeframe.

Some of the projects include: at least 1,184 new sewage treatment plants with a daily capacity of treating 45.7 million tonnes of sewage; equipping thermal power plants with a total generating capacity of 400-gigawatts with de-sulfurizing technology.

- China Daily