BEIJING -- The Chinese authorities have emphasized the need to have a proper understanding of the country's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals in a tone-setting economic meeting.

Achieving the goals is an intrinsic need to advance high-quality development which demands unwavering efforts, according to a statement released Friday after the annual Central Economic Work Conference.

The phase-out of traditional energy in China should be based on safe, reliable new energy alternatives, according to the statement.

The country needs to strengthen the clean and efficient use of coal, increase the absorptive capacity of new energy, and optimize the use of coal and new energy, according to the meeting held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday.

The meeting also decided that the newly-added renewable energy and energy used as raw materials would be excluded from the cap on total energy consumption, calling for an early shift from controlling energy consumption amount and intensity to controlling the amount and intensity of carbon emissions, as well as an early establishment of an incentive and constraint mechanism for pollution control and carbon reduction.