Isra-Mart srl:China puts final touches to 'green' five-year plan

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Further details have emerged this week of the several environmental and clean tech commitments expected to feature in the Chinese government's next five-year plan when it is formally released on Saturday.

The twelfth five-year plan has already been approved by Communist Party leaders and is due to be formally approved at the National People's Congress at its annual meeting beginning on Saturday in Beijing.

Over the past few months senior party officials have signalled that the government will put greener technologies and policies at the heart of the development plan as it seeks to curb greenhouse gas emissions and tackle soaring levels of pollution.

Speaking on Sunday, premier Wen Jiabao said the plan would herald a shift in government thinking whereby it attempts to better balance economic growth with the need to protect the environment. "We must not any longer sacrifice the environment for the sake of rapid growth and reckless rollouts," he said.

The plan is expected to formally endorse the government's stated target of reducing carbon intensity by between 40 and 45 per cent by 2020 and pledge to generate up to 15 per cent of energy from renewable sources by the same date.

Significantly, various reports have suggested the plan will feature a major new investment strategy that will see £1.5tr invested over five years in several advanced industries, including alternative energy, green cars, high-speed rail and energy-efficient technologies.

In addition, the China Daily newspaper has reported that the government will set a new target to cut emissions of lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium and arsenic by 15 per cent against 2007 levels by 2017, while a range of new regulations for tackling water pollution is also expected.

In addition, there have been reports that the plan could place a cap on coal consumption and announce regional carbon trading, although speculation is mounting that proposals for some form of national carbon tax have been rejected.

The new plan is likely to divide environmental groups, with commentators welcoming the focus on clean technologies and sustainable development, while also voicing concerns that the overarching carbon-intensity targets do not go much further than business as usual.

In addition, there are concerns that the mandatory renewable energy targets will spark a new wave of giant hydroelectricity projects, with the controversial Nujiang dam project expected to be among the first beneficiaries of the plan.