China recently issued a notice requiring government institutions to make more efforts to reduce resource consumption.

The notice was jointly issued by the State Development and Reform Commission, the Government Offices Administration of the State Council, the Ministry of Finance, the Government Offices Administration under the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Logistics Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

According to the notice, government institutions should play a leading role in reducing resources consumption and guide the consumption mode of society.

By 2010, government institutions should cut their electricity and water consumption each by 20 percent and the energy consumption of office buildings by over 20 percent from the 2005 year end level, said the notice.

The notice said that the major government institutions targeted by the notice are office buildings, government vehicles, land and government procurement.

Government institutions at different levels should design their resources-reduction program according to their particular circumstances, said the notice.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2006)