The Chinese government has reiterated its intention to meet strict energy efficiency and pollutant reduction targets, which it failed last year, in an official work plan published on Sunday.

Under a five-year plan till 2010, China pledged to cut energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 percent, or four percent each year, but energy consumption per unit of GDP fell by just 1.23 percent last year.

The General Work Plan for Energy Conservation and Pollutant Discharge Reduction, issued by the State Council, shows China will stick to the original plan for saving energy and reducing major pollutant discharges by 10 percent by 2010.

According to the work plan, the discharge of sulfur dioxide will drop from 25.49 million tons in 2005 to 22.95 million tons in2010 while chemical oxygen demand (COD) should drop from 14.14 million tons to 12.73 million tons.

The urban sewage treatment rate will reach 70 percent, the comprehensive use of industrial solid waste 60 percent, and water consumption per unit of industrial value added drop by 30 percent, according the plan.

The plan asks related authorities and local governments to prioritize the tasks and use economic, legal and administrative methods to curb excessive growth of high-energy consuming and heavy-polluting industries.

Meanwhile, efforts should also be made to adjust current industrial structure, improve technology, expand spending and strengthen monitoring.