(File photo)

PARIS, Dec. 9 -- The International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol on Wednesday hailed China's significant achievements in energy efficiency, saying China is one of the countries that have the most determined policies in this regard.

While keeping an annual economic growth rate at about 7 percent, China's energy demand growth has slowed down, mainly thanks to the energy efficiency policies implemented by the Chinese government, Birol told a press conference at the ongoing UN climate conference in Paris.

China, which is already the largest hydropower user, will soon become the largest solar power user, Birol said. "China doesn't get the credit it deserves" in terms of the achievements in the energy sector.

"China is a very good example" in the development of renewable energy, Birol added, encouraging other countries to "make the same steps in the right direction."

He said the energy challenge China faces now is how to deal with coal in the future while keeping domestic energy prices at a level that does not harm the economy a lot.

Birol also highly appreciated China's constructive role on the global stage as demonstrated at the Paris climate conference.

He said a Paris agreement is widely expected with energy issues at the core and he supported a long-term goal which can boost technological innovation in the energy sector.

He considered the very heavy emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy showed in the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) presented by most of the 185 countries to the United Nations as a very good signal.

As countries made their INDCs with projections up to 2030, Birol said that 15 years is too short for the energy industry to change its behavior and to generate the expected results, thus he called for a long-term energy goal to be introduced in the expected Paris agreement.

Negotiators convened at the ongoing UN climate change conference are eyeing a post-2020 deal that will help limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

A final draft of a new global climate agreement was reached by negotiators on Saturday, ready for ministers to read and deal with sensitive political divergences this week before the 12-day conference ends on Friday.