China missed its energy consumption reduction target last year, state media reported. Only Beijing and five other provinces hit the target of reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by 4% and pollutant emissions by 2%. "From a nationwide perspective, it is certain that last year's energy-consumption reduction goal could not be achieved," said Han Wenke, director of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission. The overall goal for the current Five-Year Plan, which runs until 2010, is to reduce energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20% and key pollutant discharges by 10%. Figures are not yet available for the entire year but energy consumption actually rose by 0.8% during the first half of 2006.
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