No soft options in pursuit of climate goals

Improvement urged

The work report was made public only three days after the release of a central environmental inspection report into the National Energy Administration, that urged the authority to step up measures to promote the transition to a low-carbon energy system.

The central environmental inspection team urged the administration to attach more importance to incorporating the transition to clean, low-carbon energy into law.

The inspectors reported to a central leading group headed by Vice-Premier Han Zheng, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The NEA and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration are the first two central government bodies covered by the inspection.

The report also asked the NEA to introduce more measures to enhance the nation's renewable energy capacity, while encouraging the administration to ramp up supervision over power development in key regions. It also called for more efficient use of allowances for power production capacity and faster phasing out of outdated production capacities.

Some NEA officials think ensuring power supply is the top priority of the energy sector. Unreasonable distribution of energy production and overexploitation of resources also need to be addressed, the report said.