Environmental protection should be given a higher priority in the drive to national modernization, said Wen while addressing at the national conference on environmental protection held on Monday and Tuesday.

The major targets of environmental protection during the recently ended tenth Five-Year Plan (2000-2005) were not achieved as scheduled, and new problems have emerged, he said.

"Lack of awareness, insufficient planning, and a weak legal framework can be blamed for the severe environmental pollution in the country," Wen noted.

According to the recently adopted 11th Five-Year Program (2006-2010) calls for energy consumption in terms of per capita GDP growth to be cut by 20 percent, major pollutants should drop by 10 percent and forest coverage should rise to 20 percent from 18.2 percent, he said.

The Premier set four priorities for current and future environmental protection. These include strengthening water conservation, controls over atmosphere and soil pollution, enhancing protection of the national ecology, re-adjusting the economic structure and boosting the environmental technology and protection industry.

Wen required local governments to release information on energy consumption and pollutant emissions every six months, set plans to control emissions and step up environmental assessment of construction projects.

Protective policies on the exploitation of resources should be carried out and legal and supervisory systems should be established, acknowledged Wen, who also urged localities to allocate more money and raise public awareness of environmental protection.