我们高度重视资源节约和环境保护，把节能和减排(emission-reduction)作为国家的目标。近两年，又提出并实施节能减排综合性工作方案，建立节能减排指标体系、监测体系、考核体系和目标责任制(a system of accountabifity for reaching the targets)，颁布了应对气候变化国家方案。依法淘汰一大批落后生产能力，关停小型火力发电厂产能(thermal power plants with a total capacity of)2157万千瓦、小煤矿1.12万处，淘汰落后炼铁设施(iron- smelting facilities)产能4659万吨、炼钢产能3747万吨、水泥产能8700万吨。启动十大重点节能工程。中央政府投资支持重点流域水污染防治项目691个。继续推进天然林保护、京津风沙源治理(control the factors causing sandstorms in Beijing and Tianjin)等生态建设，五年累计退耕还林3191万公顷，退牧还草3460万公顷。我们还加强土地和水资源保护。经过各方面努力，节能减排取得积极进展，去年单位国内生产总值能耗(energy consumption per unit of GDP)比上年下降3.27%，化学需氧量(chemical oxygen demand)、二氧化硫(emission of sulfur dioxide)排放总量近年来首次出现双下降，比上年分别下降3.14%和4.66%。节约资源和保护环境从认识到实践都发生了重要转变。
We gave high priority to conserving resources and protecting the environment, and set energy-saving emission-reduction as our national targets. In the last two years, a general work plan for saving energy and reducing emissions was introduced; a system of targets for this work, a monitoring system, a system for assessing work performance, and a system of accountability for reaching the targets were put in place; and a state plan to address climate change was published/ promulgated. A large number of outmoded production facilities were shut down in accordance with the law. They include small thermal power plants with a total capacity of 21.57 million kW, 11,200 small coal mines, outmoded iron-smelting facilities with a total capacity of 46.59 million tons, backward steel plants with a total capacity of 37.47 million tons and cement plants with a total capacity of 87 million tons. Ten major energy-saving projects were launched. The central government provided financial support for 691 projects to prevent and control water pollution in major river valleys. Work continued on ecological conservation projects such as those to protect natural forests and control the factors causing sandstorms in Beijing and Tianjin. During the five- year period, the area of farmland returned/turned/converted back to forestation amounted to31.91 million hectares, and grazing land returned to natural grasslands totaled 34.6 million hectares. Protection of land and water resources was also strengthened. Thanks to the strong efforts of the whole country, encouraging progress was made in conserving energy and reducing emissions. Last year there was a 3.27 percent year-on-year drop in energy consumption per unit of GDP, and for the first time in recent years there was a reduction in both chemical oxygen demand and the total emission of sulfur dioxide, with the former down 3.14 percent and the latter down4.66 percent from the previous year. People became more aware of the importance of conserving resources and protecting the environment and made greater efforts in this area.