Energy policemen to patrol malls in Beijing

BEIJING, CHINA - China's capital will employ "energy policemen" to help it improve the efficiency of energy consumption.

The "energy policemen" will patrol shopping malls and office buildings in the city, China Daily reported.

Complexes with indoor temperatures set too high in winter or buildings having lights on in the daytime will receive fines from these officers over the first half of this year, according to Zhang Mao, vice-mayor of Beijing.

Zhang said the municipal government would soon recruit more than 20 dedicated workers to supervise energy efficiency in the city. Supporting regulations will also be made to facilitate the law enforcement.

"We have been advocating energy saving for years but it has remained only a slogan because of a lack of a supervising system," Zhang was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

He added "the energy policemen" would have sufficient authority to order bosses to carry out their instructions and to issue penalty notices.

In the past, violators were not obliged to abide by similar instructions, Zhang said.

Last summer, city leaders advised large buildings to keep air- conditioning temperatures above 26 C to save electricity.

In the coming five years, Beijing plans to reduce the energy and water consumption per 10,000 yuan (1,233 U.S.dollars) GDP by 15 percent and 20 percent respectively, by 2010 compared with 2005.

Beijing currently consumes 0.81 standard tons of coal and 51 cubic meters of water per 10,000 yuan GDP, already much lower than the national average level, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.