China Sets Energy Consumption Cap for First Time

 China aims to keep energy consumption within 5 billion tonnes of standard coal equivalent by 2020, it said in its latest five-year plan published on Saturday, marking the first time the world's second-biggest economy has set such a target.

China has long been considering an energy consumption cap in a bid to improve industrial efficiency, tackle smog and control greenhouse gas emissions, which are the highest in the world.

Total energy consumption was 4.3 billion tonnes of standard coal in 2015, up 0.9 percent from the previous year, according to the most recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

In a separate report published ahead of the opening of the full session of China's parliament on Saturday, the National Development and Reform Commission promised to limit growth of coal production and coal-fired power generation this year.

The five-year plan also said that China would cut energy intensity - the amount of energy used per unit of GDP growth - by 15 percent over 2016-2020, and carbon intensity by 18 percent over the same period.

As part of its global climate change commitments, China has already pledged to reduce carbon intensity to 40-45 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

(Reporting by Kathy Chen and David Stanway; Editing by Ed Davies)