Vice Premier Sean Chen said Friday that all government agencies need to make extra efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the second half of 2010 to offset increased emissions generated earlier this year. Presiding over a meeting at the Executive Yuan to promote carbon emission reductions, Chen said that with the strong economic recovery this year, production and consumption have grown markedly. 'For this reason, energy consumption in the first half of this year increased from the same period last year, and carbon emissions rose,' Chen said. The meeting's participants discussed four issues -- action plans to conserve energy, the results of efforts to slow down greenhouse gas emissions and follow-up planning, public transportation development, and a publicity campaign on saving energy and cutting emissions. They reached several conclusions, including to upgrade energy efficiency by 2 percent annually through promoting green buildings and enhancing the energy efficiency of old buildings. They also decided to establish the basis of a carbon rights management law, and set up an early carbon rights transaction system through the Environmental Protection Administration before the law would take effect. They also said the government should focus on improving public transportation systems to lessen individuals' public reliance on their own vehicles, and the Government Information Office should be in charge of the public awareness drive on saving energy and reducing carbon emission. 