China eyes energy, environment ministries in March

BEIJING, Jan 14 (Reuters) – China will likely get an energy ministry in March and upgrade its environment watchdog to ministry status, sources said on Monday, as it aims to boost fuel security with oil at $100 a barrel and cut back on pollution.

If the massive shift in China’s unwieldy bureaucracy goes ahead, it would mark a sea-change in government priorities that will be welcomed by disparate groups ranging from oil industry executives to environmental campaigners.

At present energy policy-making and adminstration is scattered across several departments, which are understaffed and compete for power and influence.
The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), while more unified, lacks the power or budget to consistently enforce anti-pollution rules and hold offenders to account.

Reuters