Wen calls for greater efforts to conserve energy

BEIJING - Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday urged local governments to step up efforts in energy conservation and emissions reduction.

Speaking during a teleconference, Wen said local governments should be aware of the "extreme significance and urgency" of the task as the current situation is "rather severe".

China aims to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 16 percent in the five years to 2015, with carbon dioxide emissions set to be slashed by 17 percent over the same period.