China ranks among the world's most wasteful users of natural resources, according to a report released yesterday by a government-linked academic group.
The study by the Chinese Academy of Science ranked China 56th out of 59 countries surveyed, with Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland, Britain, Holland and Norway the planet's most efficient allocators of resources.
China's inefficiency in the use of five major commodities -- energy, water, cement, steel and non-ferrous metal -- was 1.9 times higher than the global average level in 2003, the report said.
"This proves China has not fundamentally broken away from its economic growth model that relies on the intensive use of natural resources," the academy said.
The academy warned that risks continued to exist in the development of a sustainable economic model, while China's goal of creating an eco-friendly economy was currently "not feasible."
China's State Council announced last month that environmental improvements, including the control of water, air and soil pollution, would be a major national priority over the next 15 years.
But the academy urged leaders to take more comprehensive reform measures that would aggressively promote a viable economic growth model, while shifting towards greater technological innovation.
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