Top officials from Jiangsu yesterday pledged to give priority to environmental protection and energy conservation after decades of economic growth.

Li Yuanchao, secretary of the Jiangsu provincial committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said the province plans to allocate 20 percent of its newly added fiscal investment to environmental protection from this year.

It has also incorporated environmental protection efforts within its performance evaluation system for local officials, Liang Baohua, governor of Jiangsu, said.