2012-3-6   Source: Bloomberg News

China, the world’s fastest-growing major economy, plans to cut energy use per unit of gross domestic unit by 3.5 percent this year after missing the same target in 2011.

The government also wants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 3.5 percent and sulfur dioxide emissions by 2 percent, according to a report today by the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planner.

The government’s attempt to meet last year’s energy- conservation goal by shutting inefficient factories failed as energy use rose at the fastest pace in four years. Consumption per unit of gross domestic product fell 2.01 percent in 2011, the National Bureau (NBSZ) of Statistics Bureau said last month.

China’s power generation will rise 7.5 percent to 5.05 trillion kilowatt-hours this year, according to the report in Beijing at the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress. Coal production will climb 3.7 percent to 3.65 billion metric tons, while crude-oil output will be unchanged at 204 million tons, it said.

Electricity generation increased 11.7 percent last year, while coal output rose 8.7 percent and crude production advanced 0.3 percent. China cut its economic growth target to 7.5 percent for this year after aiming for 8 percent every year since 2005, according to a speech at the NPC meeting today by Premier Wen Jiabao.