Premier Wen Jiabao will head a new team aimed at ensuring China's environmental goals are met, amid a rising sense of urgency to tackle the problem, state press reported Thursday.

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Following the creation of the task force on Wednesday, Wen warned that China was in grave need of cutting energy consumption and pollution, and that much tougher action need to be taken, Xinhua news agency said.

The government will play a "dominant role" in improving the situation, Xinhua quoted Wen as saying.

The task force was set up after China missed its targets to cut pollution and improve energy efficiency in 2006, the first year in a five-year plan that many see as crucial in the nation's efforts to combat climate change.

China set targets to slash its energy consumption per unit of domestic gross product by 20 percent from 2006 to 2010, and to cut emissions of key water and air pollutants by 10 percent over the same period.

However, the country only lowered its energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 1.2 percent last year -- against a goal of four percent -- while pollution emission levels rose by two percent.

Wen's decision to lead the task force comes as China finalises its first major report on how to deal with climate change. The environmental targets are expected to be a major part of the government's strategy.

The government was to release the report this week but has postponed it indefinitely.

It was forced into the delay amid fierce internal debate as to how far the reforms should go, and what impact any environmental measures would have on economic growth, environment campaigners and other observers said.