To ensure that the correct signal reaches local officials, the NDRC will brandish its policy baton and intensify supervision.

The NDRC said it will establish a set of mechanisms "as soon as possible" to set, evaluate, and monitor energy consumption reductions achieved by local governments and key state-owned enterprises, Xinhua has learned.

In addition, the government will intensify supervision of key energy-consuming industries such as iron and steel, nonferrous metal, coal, electricity, petrochemicals, construction materials and those that consume more than 10,000 tons of coal a year.

Criteria for the establishment of high energy-consuming ventures will be made more restrictive, with the level of energy-consumption a key factor in determining approval by the NDRC.

Voracious energy consumers and big waste-emitters will have to pay more for water and electricity than normal factories next year, the NDRC said.

"Next year's policy will be tougher than this year's, and implementation of the policy will be more forceful," said Wang Xiaoguang, an economist with the Economics Research Institute under the NDRC.

The policy will contain specific details on energy consumption reduction and waste discharge targets, he said.

In addition, the use of new environment-friendly technology will be encouraged. The Ministry of Commerce said imports of such technology and equipment will be expanded next year.

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