China's total electricity consumption increased 0.4% in the first 8 months from the same period of last year, but industrial electricity consumption dropped 3%, according to the latest release by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Given China's industrial output rose 8.1 percent in the first eight months from the same period last year, it is clear the efficiency of China's energy consumption is improving.

China is possible to reduce its energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 5 percent this year, said Xie Zhenhua, vice minister of the NDRC Sunday.

In the first half of this year, energy consumption per unit of GDP was down 3.35 percent, and the emissions of sulfur dioxide and COD were down by 5.4 percent and 2.46 percent respectively.

China has made real efforts to preserve energy in the fight against climate change, said Xie, the country's top representative in international climate change negotiations at a press conference. Still, he admitted that arduous tasks remain to fulfill the pledge of 20 percent cut by 2010.