China's State Administration of Environment Protection (SEPA)
has revealed that environmental statistics released by some local
governments are false and local pollution indices have been
fabricated.
A SEPA official said that according to the figures submitted by
the 26 regional governments, the goal set by the central government
of reducing main pollutants by 2 percent this year should have been
reached.
However, the reality is that the chemical oxygen demand (COD)
and sulfur dioxide, China's two main pollutants, increased by 2
percent in 2006, according to SEPA's calculations.
"The figures on pollution control reported by the local
government dropped remarkably this year, while the real
environmental situation continues to deteriorate," said an official
with SEPA.
"The inaccurate figures were caused by insufficient supervision
of the local governments and possible fabrication," said the
official.
"Under the great pressure of assessment, some local governments
have fabricated the environmental index," added Zhou Shengxian,
director of SEPA.
The administration will send working groups to the provinces to
check the local environmental statistics.
China has set a goal of reducing the emission of major
pollutants by 10 percent during the 11th Five-Year Plan period
(2006-2010).
Further evidence of figures being doctored was revealed by a
local government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, in
Gansu Province.
The official said the province's sulfur dioxide emissions had
been reduced by 6 percent and COD was down 4 percent during the
first 11 months of this year. But the local governments only
reported 2 percent for each of them to the public.
"Reducing emissions of major pollutants by two percent every
year during the 11th five-year plan period is the basic requirement
set by the central government. If the local governments reported
their true achievements, it would place a heavier burden on them
the following year," the official explained.
Heavy industry, which causes the most serious pollution, is the
backbone of Gansu's economy. Most of the medium and small-sized
enterprises are still using backward technology and techniques. But
local governments are reluctant to sacrifice economic returns by
shutting them down.
Zhou lambasted local authorities at the ongoing session of the
Standing Committee of National Peoples Congress, China's top
legislature, saying that local protectionism had resulted in
rampant violation of the environment.
"In some places, officials still focus on economic growth and
neglect environmental protection," said Zhou.
Some international environmental experts have warned that if no
strong and effective measures are taken, China will fail to achieve
its environmental goal set for the 11th Five-Year Plan period.
The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment
and Development (CCICED), an international organization which
advises the Chinese government, has submitted a report to the State
Council calling for the SEPA to be elevated to full cabinet
rank.
Xue Lan, the leading researcher of the team who compiled the
report, said, "Although SEPA is already a ministerial-level
department in China, the elevation to cabinet level will increase
the authority of China's environmental departments and
environmental issues will be given more consideration in major
decisions taken by the Chinese government."
(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2006)