China is aiming to allow primary energy consumption rise by only 0.9 per cent in 2016, the same as last year, as it tries to boost efficiency and control emissions.

The country is targeting total 2016 energy consumption to rise to about 4.34 billion tonnes of standard coal equivalent, from 4.30 billion tonnes in 2015, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said in a summary of its annual objectives posted on its website.

Official data released in late February showed 2015 consumption also rose by 0.9 per cent. Coal equivalent measures the energy given off by different fuels in a standardised way regardless of type, such as coal, oil or natural gas.

China’s energy consumption growth has slowed as a result of a downturn in high-energy consuming heavy industries like steel and a renewed focus on improving efficiency, and it aims to cap the total within 5 billion tonnes of coal equivalent by the end of 2020.

In the statement, the NEA promised to continue to promote non-fossil fuel energies like nuclear and renewables. It said it would also encourage high-energy consuming sectors to move away from the developed eastern coast and into poorer western and central regions.

China aims to keep coal production at around 3.65 billion tonnes in 2016.