General Motors Corporation, the world's leading auto company, announced yesterday that the "green" program conducted on its first-tier suppliers in China has saved over RMB 2 million in the past two years.

The "green" program, namely the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment, was initiated by the World Environment Center for environmental protection. GM has adopted the program in its Chinese suppliers, as a response to the Chinese government's call for energy saving.

Under the program, GM's Chinese suppliers are encouraged to use more environmental-friendly materials and consolidate their waste management system. GM even awarded eight suppliers yesterday for their outstanding achievement in environmental protection in a special forum in Shanghai.

To cut energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20% or 4% each year till 2010 is part of China's 11th Five-Year Plan. However, the consumption actually fell by just 1.23% last year.

GM ranks the world's largest auto company by annual production volume for 2006, and the second largest by sales volume as of the first half of 2007, behind Toyota Motor Corporation.