OREANDA-NEWS. May 18, 2011. The central government will provide a subsidy of 20 yuan (USD 3.081) per square metre to revamp public buildings in selected cities to reduce energy consumption, the Ministry of Finance said.

The government aimed to cut energy consumption per square metre in public buildings in selected major cities by more than 20 percent in five years, the ministry said in a notice published on its website (www.mof.gov.cn).

Energy use in large public buildings would be cut by more than 30 percent per square metre, it said.

On a nationwide basis, Beijing aimed to reduce energy consumption per square metre in public buildings by 10 percent in five years, the ministry said.

China, the world's top energy user, aims to cut energy intensity - energy used to generate each unit of gross domestic product -- by 16 percent by 2015 from 2010 levels.