Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday called for more efforts to cut emissions and conserve energy to meet the country's target set by the 11th Five-Year Plan.

According to the plan laid out in 2006, China will cut its per unit GDP energy consumption by 20 percent compared with 2005 levels by the end of 2010.

The task of fulfilling the goal was still tough , Wen said at a State Council meeting, adding that this year would be particularly difficult as the first quarter had already seen rising energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) in the major industrial sectors.

In the first three months, six major industries, including steel, power and non-ferrous, saw a 3.2 percent growth in energy consumption per unit of GDP, Wen said.

This came after a decline for the previous four years to 2009 of 14.38 percent.

"We can never break our pledge, stagger our resolution, or weaken our efforts, no matter how difficult it is," Wen said.

Wen called for stricter control over high-energy-consuming and high-polluting sectors.

More efforts were needed to reduce use of outdated capacity and curb new projects in industries with overcapacity, he said.

This year, China will phase out 10 million kilowatts of small coal-fired power generators, 25 million tonnes of outdated capacity in iron-smelting industry, 6 million tonnes in steel sector and 50 million tonnes in cement sector, Wen added.

The government will further promote energy-saving lamps and intensify efforts to lift energy efficiency in steel, power, non-ferrous, and other high-energy-consuming sectors, Wen said.

More publicity campaigns to promote energy saving and emission cuts were needed, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2010)