Going green?

China has announced aggressive new targets for industries to cut pollution, raising the bar beyond what was expected.

The official People's Daily newspaper reported on Monday the country would impose “compulsory targets” to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 18 percent per unit of industrial output, while cutting water consumption by 30 percent. The item didn’t reveal what sort of incentive or penalty scheme would be used on companies to reach the ambitious pollution-reduction goals.

In years past, China’s lofty plans for reducing air, water and soil pollution have fallen far short of the mark, lost amid the rush of economic development and industrialization. But with leaders intent on "going green" in the next five years, while changing the economic structure from one heavily reliant on manufacturing to one supported by innovation and consumption, pollution control measures might fare better than before.