China’s outgoing President Hu Jintao has used his keynote speech at the Communist Party Congress to call for a fundamental shift in the way the nation uses resources and a “revolution” in energy efficiency.

According to the Financial Times, Hu highlighted the environment as one of China’s priorities, alongside the need for political reform, widespread economic growth, and efforts to tackle corruption.

He said the world’s largest emitter of CO2 and second biggest economy should sharply cut its energy use, emissions, and release of major pollutants.

China has a target to supply 11 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2015 and in 2013 is set to launch seven pilot emissions trading schemes in cities and provinces, covering 700 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

However, Hu said China should also impose a cap on energy consumption and confirmed the government would impose taxes for resource consumption as well as new fines for companies causing environmental degradation.

“We should launch a revolution in energy production and consumption, impose a ceiling on total energy consumption, save energy and reduce its consumption,” he said.

Hu also warned that the rapid industrialisation of China should be better managed in order to preserve the environment.

“We should keep more farmland for farmers and leave to our future generations a beautiful homeland with green fields, clean water and a blue sky,” he said.

Hu’s successor will be announced this week, marking a once in a decade power transfer.