Beijing govt unveils greener path for development

Beijing government aims to increase the city's gross regional product in a greener way by improving its energy and resource utilization efficiency, Chen Jining, the mayor, said while delivering a government report on Saturday.

The report said that by 2025 when the 14th Five-Year Plan period concludes, the per capital gross regional product is expected to reach 210,000 yuan ($32,403), up from $24,000 in 2020.

The capital will control the urban surveyed unemployment rate under 5 percent and optimize the income distribution structure so that the middle-income group continues to expand, the report added.

"While developing economy for the next five year plan, the government needs to promote green lifestyle among the public to reduce the carbon emission and pollutant discharge," Chen said at the opening ceremony during the fourth session of the 15th Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

The energy and water consumption per unit of GDP will decline continuously by 2025 with the total water consumption amount controlled within 3 billion cubic meters. Garbage sorting will be a conscious action among all the citizens, the report said.

During the period, Beijing plans to eliminate all the water bodies inferior to Grade V, the lowest level of water classification that cannot meet standards for drinking, industrial or agricultural usage.

The forest coverage rate is expected to reach 45 percent in 2025, up from 44.4 percent in 2020. By 2025, the municipal government aims to fundamentally eradicate days with heavy air pollution.

The session will conclude on Wednesday.