Official: China faces uphill battle meeting environmental targets

A high-ranking official said China faces an uphill battle in meeting environmental targets by 2010, due to an overheating economy and a lack of motivation in the business community, the South China Morning Post reported. China intends to reduce air pollution by 10% by the end of its 11th five-year plan, but data suggests air pollution has only decreased by 3% in the first two years of the plan. Xie Zhenhua, a vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said, "To reduce the air pollution index by 7% in the next three years is a daunting task. The situation is very severe." He added that that sulfur dioxide emissions and chemical oxygen demand would still be high even if targets were achieved.