China's emissions of sulphur dioxide have seen the first cquarterly rise in three years, despite its great efforts to cut its level of greenhouse gas emissions.

Zhou Shengxian, minister of environmental protection, said last week that there was a 1.2-percent increase in sulphur dioxide emissions in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year.

The rise will certainly increase pressure on the country to meet its goal of cutting emissions in 2010, the minister said.

"There is no reason we will fail to realize this year's target of reducing emissions," Zhou said.

It was the first time there was an annual quarterly rise in the country's rate of sulphur dioxide emissions since 2007.

To counteract the situation, Zhou recommended that outdated production practices in heavily-polluting, energy- inefficient industries be eliminated in the following months.

He attributed the rise in sulphur dioxide emissions in the first quarter to the country's rapid economic growth and the severe drought that has beleaguered the southwestern region of China since late last year.

The first quarter of the year also saw a 11.9 percent annual rise in China's GDP. There was rapid growth in industrial production in the same period, which poses a challenge to China's goal of reducing its overall rate of emissions.