Beijing wants to slash energy consumption starting with its own government buildings.

Zhai Hongxiang, deputy mayor of the Beijing municipal government, yesterday urged all the government staff to cut energy use, and quickly complete energy-saving renovations to their buildings.

"Government organizations should improve their energy conservation potential and serve as a model for the public," Zhai said in a meeting yesterday.

The measures include adopting more natural light in buildings and limiting the use of official cars, she said.

China wants to heavily reduce energy consumption by the end of 2010.

However, the National Bureau of Statistics revealed on Wednesday that energy consumption per unit of GDP has dropped annually 1.23 percent, failing well short of the projected 4 percent last year.

But Beijing met its energy-reduction target last year, according to Zhang Yanyou, an official with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.

Though the final figures are yet to be released, the final result was "foreseeable" given strong performance in the first three quarters, he said.

And at yesterday's meeting, on behalf of the municipal government, Zhai signed energy target deals with the heads of the city's 18 counties and districts and the Beijing economic-technological Development Area.

Each district would have its own energy-saving target based on its infrastructure.

Haidian District, an area with a large concentration of electric and IT companies, will have higher reduction targets than Huairou District, an area with more greenery.

A new plan to conserve energy was also unveiled yesterday.

New major residential and commercial developments will need to be evaluated for projected energy use before building approval.

Source: China Daily