CHINA aims to keep energy consumption within 5 billion tons of standard coal equivalent by 2020, it said in its five-year plan published Saturday, marking the first time the world’s second-biggest economy has set such a target.

    China has long been considering an energy consumption cap in a bid to improve industrial efficiency, tackle smog and control greenhouse gas emissions, which are the highest in the world.

    The Chinese Government is also pushing structural reforms to decouple economic growth from energy consumption.

    “Energy consumption will be less than 5 billion tons if China’s structural adjustment goes smoothly,” said Xi Fengming, an expert on carbon emissions at the China Academy of Sciences, adding that the planned launch of a nationwide carbon emissions market next year would make it easier to achieve.

    However, with energy demand growth already slowing considerably and China overshooting its 2011-2015 energy efficiency targets, there might have been room to lower the number further, researchers said.

    Yang Fuqiang, senior advisor at the U.S.-based think tank, the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the 5 billion figure was calculated by combining China’s 6.5 percent economic growth projections for 2016-2020 with its target to cut energy intensity by 15 percent over the same period.(SD-Agencies)