CHINA

- Aims to quadruple GDP by 2020, while only doubling energy consumption, which will require a massive boost to efficiency.

- Will order 6,000 industrial firms to shut for a week this summer and another 5,800 to give workers days off.

- Ordered larger companies to shift production to off-peak hours and all industrial enterprises could face electricity rationing between mid-July and late August.

- Government buildings, malls, offices, hotels and entertainment venues have also set their air-conditioning dials above 26 degrees Celsius.

- Brought in a colour-coded warning system for electricity load in some cities.

- Considering linking a vehicle tax to engine emissions levels, and levying the charge directly on car owners to encourage ownership of more efficient vehicles.

- Will require shopping malls, offices, restaurants and hospitals to be more energy efficient when national standards for energy use by public buildings take effect in July, aiming to reduce the annual energy consumption of public buildings by 50 percent.

JAPAN

- Expects Japan's total energy use to decline to 377 million kilolitres of crude oil equivalent in 2030 from 413 million kilolitres in 2000.

- Expects the share of oil in its energy mix to fall to 45 percent in 2010 from 50 percent of now.

- Launched "Cool Biz" campaign on June 1, encouraging male government officials, including Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, to go tie-less this summer to cut air conditioner use.

- Aims to support nuclear power as a long-term policy to reduce reliance on oil as it imports more than 99 percent of its crude oil needs from overseas.

- Urged the public to set air-conditioner temperature at 28 degrees Celsius at office buildings and home.

SOUTH KOREA

- Lifted its budget to support companies which provide fuel-efficient equipments by 29 percent to 127 billion won this year, hoping to save 617,000 tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) by 2007.

- Allowed local airliners to operate on several shortcut routes, which were only allowed to military use before, to help the carriers cut jet fuel costs.

- Allowed civil servants to wear casual clothes in work places during summer.

- The nation's major electronic home appliances makers, including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, have agreed to improve energy efficiency of their products such as refrigerators, televisions, personal computers, washing machines, air-conditioners and rice cookers by 2.6 percent by 2008, cutting the country's electricity use by 0.25 percent.

- Pledged to cooperate with civic groups to promote various energy-conservation campaigns, under which they urge the public to use more cooling fans than air conditioners in summer and switch to bicycles from cars.

THAILAND

- Set a medium-term plan target to cut back its energy consumption by 20 percent by 2009, which could save the country by $5 billion. The plan includes using more pipes and rails in transporting goods.

- Launched in June a three-month voluntary campaign nationwide such as turning off air-conditioners at lunch time and turning off lights for five minutes at night and driving no faster than 90 kilometres (55 miles) per hour.

- Ended gasoline subsidies by October last year and has reduced its diesel support twice and outlined further cuts in the diesel subsidy.

- Will start selling baht bonds from July to raise funds for financing the price support scheme.

PHILIPPINES

- Introduced a four-day work week to civil servants in April and May and expected to save at least 10 percent of the government's fuel and electricity bills during the two months.

INDONESIA

- Considering an automobile tax and a power tariff increase to curb demand, which has stretched fuel supplies thin and put mounting pressure on the budget due to soaring subsidy costs.