China will upgrade coal-fired power plants to cut pollutant discharge by 60 percent before 2020, saving around 100 million tonnes of raw coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 180 million tonnes annually, the State Council pledged on Wednesday. By 2020, China will have shut down plants that fail to meet the energy-saving standard, according to the statement.

China aims to cut total coal consumption to below 65 percent of its total primary energy use by 2017 as part of adjustments of its energy structure.

The 2013 Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan pledged to increase clean energy supply and cut coal consumption, a major source of air pollutant emissions .