China aims to draft a national plan regarding the development of energy-saving and environmentally friendly practices up to 2020, an effort to support the green sector following recent achievements in completing its energy-saving targets and improving the environment during the first half of this year.
Xinhua reports that the National National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) officially stated that a national plan will be drafted examining energy-saving and environmentally friendly industries for the 2016-2020 period. Also, the government will encourage more qualified companies to issue green bonds and will consider setting up a fund to support the green industry and attract private investment. In addition, tax breaks will continue for firms using energy-saving and environmentally friendly equipment
According to latest NDRC figures, China made headway in energy saving and environmental protection in the first six months, with the energy consumption per 10,000 yuan ($1,500) of GDP dropping 5.2 percent year on year, exceeding the annual target of 3.4 percent.
The country also saw lower emissions of major pollutants, with the density of PM2.5, a type of particulate matter that causes hazardous smog, falling 9.3 percent year on year.
In the first half, 338 cities saw the number of days with good air quality reach 76.7 percent of all days in the period, up from 72.7 percent a year earlier, NDRC figures showed.
