National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)

November 29, 2007

China's energy consumption for every 10,000 yuan GDP should be reduced by 20 percent by the end of the 11th Five-year Plan Period as a binding indicator listed in the government's 11th Five-year Plan. That is a solemn commitment of the Party and the Government to the people. We should rely on scientific, overall and accurate statistics to reflect the implementation of the targets set in the Plan. However, for a quite long period, energy statistics in China is very weak due to the following reasons: we do not have relevant statistical capacity to meet the challenge of relevant work, most of the energy consuming enterprises do not measure and take records of the energy consumed, the statistical indicator system and survey system are not in place yet, the statistical information is not integrated and the quality of statistical data is yet to be improved. The above mentioned situation could not meet the needs of the implementation of the scientific outlook on development, not to say the needs of government at various levels to guide and push forward the work of energy conservation and consumption reduction.

According to the Government Work Report delivered at the Fifth Session of the 10th National People's Congress by Premier Wen Jiabao, it is requested that "We should promptly set up a sound scientific, integrated and unified system of targets, a surveillance system and an assessment system for saving energy and reducing pollution." National Bureau of Statistics has conducted in-depth research and study on this topic by holding various symposiums and soliciting suggestions from all circles of the society which resulted in the issue of the "Implementation Plan on Unit GDP Energy Consumption Indicators" jointly with other departments concerned. In the plan, it is clearly defined the main body of various statistical surveys, the concrete measures to improve the energy consumption statistics and its scope. It also puts forward the specific content of establishing and perfecting energy consumption statistics. The main contents are: firstly, establishing and perfecting the energy statistical indicator system to reflect the efficiency and comprehensive utilization of energy through the chain of production, circulation, consumption, processing to inventory; secondly, establishing and perfecting energy statistical survey system, which will combine comprehensive survey with sample survey and special survey covering the three industries and people's life; thirdly, perfecting the statistical classification of energy products, and statistics of remaining heating and energy. This plan has laid a sound foundation for measuring the energy consumption in a scientific, overall and accurate way.

In addition with the above mentioned measures, National Bureau of Statistics formulated the "Implementation Plan on Unit GDP Energy Consumption Surveillance System." In this plan, it is clearly defined the main body, targets and surveillance indictors of the surveillance system. It states the contents and methods of the system. Firstly, it will surveil the progress made in energy saving both at national and regional levels. The observation on the progress and achievements will be reflected by the following indicators: unit GDP energy consumption, energy consumption per unit of value added of industrial enterprises, unit GDP power consumption and relevant reduction rates. Secondly, it will surveil the data quality of regional unit GDP energy consumption. It will include the inverse indicators of the regional GDP figures and total energy consumption and some other relevant indicators such as: financial revenue, tax income, residential savings deposits, per capita disposable income of households, electricity consumed by the society, efficiency rate of energy utilization, energy consumption by industries and growth of value added. The information will be used to surveil, analyze and evaluate the unit GDP energy consumption by region and the data quality on reduction rates. This will provide an objective and just assessment on the progress made in energy saving work. The plan serves as a work criterion to the governments at various levels with rich content and scientific methods on energy consumption surveillance.

(China Development Gateway November 29, 2007)