CHINA said yesterday it has basically met its goal of reducing energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by around 20 percent from 2005 levels by the end of 2010.

Zhang Ping, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, China's economic planning body, made the remarks at a meeting on energy, saying detailed data is yet to be released.

In early December, Xie Zhenhua, China's chief negotiator to the UN climate change talks, said the nation achieved its goal of reducing total pollutant emissions by 10 percent over the five years to 2010.

As China's economy has grown fast for nearly a decade, inefficient use of energy and pollution has posed a threat to sustainable growth.

To achieve the goals, China conducted a nationwide campaign to eliminate energy-consuming and polluting facilities in industries such as electricity generating and steel making.

Over the past five years, China replaced outdated thermal power plants with environmentally-friendly ones, saving more than 300 million tons of coal, said Zhang Guobao, head of the National Energy Administration.

Clean energy use has gained momentum, as hydro, nuclear and wind power generates more than 3 trillion kilowatts of electricity,