From January to December, China produced 1053 million tons of crude steel, with a year-on-year growth of 5.16%.

Elshinebal, a 50-year-old farmer in Tacheng, a city in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, used to burn coal for heating and cooking in his suburban bungalow and describes his coal-laden life back then as "dusty".

Local officials and business executives say following guidelines of the Fifth Plenary Session will lead to high-quality growth.

Key environmental indicators in Shanghai, such as air and water quality, had improved greatly during the period of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020).

The new guideline is part of efforts to align governance of climate change with environmental conservation.

Authorities also said they will enhance efforts to clean up the environment.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a regulation on carbon emissions trading, along with an allocation plan for emissions quotas on Jan 5. The regulation and the plan will take effect on Feb 1.

China has sent a strong signal that it will ramp up efforts to curb carbon emissions with a vow to include climate impact in the nation's environmental impact assessment.