China will make sure to meet its energy saving and emission cut target up to 2010, which is a "solemn promise" to the world, a senior official said on Tuesday.

China is "hopeful" to cut energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 percent, and cut emissions of major pollutants by 10 percent between 2006 and 2010, said Xie Zhenhua, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

As one of the world's major CO2 emitter, China has been making consistent efforts to curb pollution and save energy through improving industrial structure.

In 2006, China's energy consumption per unit of GDP fell 1.79 percent, the first drop since 2003. The figure fell 4.04 percent in 2007 and 4.59 percent last year.

From 2006 to 2008, China cut its energy consumption by 10.1 percent. That means saving 300 million tonnes of standard coal and cutting CO2 emissions by 750 million tonnes, Xie said.

Last year, emissions of sulfur dioxide fell 5.95 percent and that for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), a main index of water pollution, dropped 4.42 percent.

However, some experts worried that, affected by the global financial crisis, Chinese enterprises may have less impetus for spending on emission reduction in 2009, and thus the country is faced with greater pressure of emission reduction.

The goal has been met by half, and the task remains arduous, Xie said. "It is a hard task which should be ensured."

China plans to eliminate 15 million kw of power-generating capacity in small coal-powered plants, as well as obsolete capacity of 10 million tonnes in the iron industry and 6 million tonnes in the steel industry this year.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2009)