Backgrounder: Chinas major policies to&n

    in 2006, the government launched ten major energy-conservation projects, estimated to have stopped the burning of 240 million tonnes of standard coal from 2006 to 2010. it also launched an energy-conserving campaign among more than 1,000 enterprises in steel, non-ferrous metals and coal sectors in 2006, encouraging them to audit their energy use, map out energy-saving plans and reveal their energy use to the public.
    in 2007, the government announced a timetable for different regions to close down their old and polluting production facilities in 13 industries, including power generation, steel, cement and glass production industries.
    china has been making great efforts to adjust the economic structure, and to create a growth mode featuring "less input, less consumption, less emission and high efficiency."
    in 2007, the government issued plans to boost the development of the service sector, providing support to key areas. later in the year, the government formulated policies to push up the development of high-tech industries.
    in 2007, the government established an accountability system for energy conservation and emission reduction, requiring leading officials in all provinces and key enterprises to be appraised by their performance regarding promoting energy saving and reducing pollutants.
    in 2008, china limited use of plastics, requiring supermarkets, department stores, grocery stores to no longer provide free plastic shopping bags in a bid to reduce energy consumption and pollution.
    source: xinhua