"We urgently need to strengthen our work on saving energy and reducing pollution as we face global climate change," Wen said in a major speech on environmental protection.

"Our nation is a large consumer and producer of coal. We must assume responsibility for reducing pollution emissions."

Wen said the reductions would be difficult to achieve but the government would begin with its six dirtiest and largest energy-consuming industries, including electricity, steel, non-ferrous metals, construction, petroleum and chemicals.

Combined output in the six industries grew by more than 20 percent in the first quarter of 2007, he said, 6.6 percentage points faster than the same period last year.

The industries account for 70 percent of China's energy consumption and pollution emissions, he added.

Wen called for energy savings of 50 million tons of coal equivalent in the power industry and 20 million tons of coal equivalent in 1,000 state-owned major industrial enterprises this year.

This was part of an overall effort to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross national product by 20 percent during the 2006-2010 period and to cut emissions of key water and air pollutants by 10 percent over the same period.

China badly missed the targets last year.

"This year is crucial. If we can meet our energy savings and pollution reduction targets for this year it will form a good base as we go forward," Wen said.

"If we cannot meet this year's target, this will greatly increase the pressure on our work in the following three years."

As a signatory to the Kyoto protocol on climate change, China is not required to cut greenhouse gas emissions due to its status as a developing nation.

China has said previously it would not accept Kyoto-style curbs on its greenhouse gas emissions, saying the responsibility rested with the developed world.

But it has repeatedly acknowledged that climate change is a problem that must be addressed, warning that related droughts, storms and melting glaciers were already a threat to the nation.