All government departments and large-scale public constructions here are required to save more energy this year as part of Beijing's five-year energy-saving campaign, a source with the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission said Monday.

All government departments must strive to save electricity by at least 8 percent. Large-scale public constructions must save over 10 percent. A supervision office will be set up in this regard this year.

The electricity consumed by government institutions is three to six times that used by the average Beijing residence. Electricity consumed by large-scale public constructions, accounting for merely 5.4 percent of the residential areas, reached nearly half of the amount used by all Beijing citizens.

Beijing has decided to transform itself into an energy-saving city. Under its five-year program (2005-2010), Beijing will increase the energy utilization rate to 40 percent, the water-recycling and usage rate to over 50 percent, and at least 30 percent of garbage must be reprocessed for further usage.

Source: Xinhua