"2006 has been the most grim year for China's environmental situation," vice minister Pan Yue was quoted as saying on the Web site of the State Environmental Protection Administration (www.sepa.gov.cn).
"The goals set out by the cabinet at the start of the year, of cutting energy intensity by 4 percent and emissions of pollutants by 2 percent have absolutely not been achieved."
He did not say by how much China missed the goals, but in the first half of the year, energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product actually rose 0.8 percent.
