China's top economic planner is urging local governments to speed up measures to cut excess coal  production. The National Development and Reform Commission said Thursday that local  governments should strive to fulfill their targets by the end of November. That's while state-owned  producers should complete their goals in early November.

The deputy head of the NDRC -- Lian Weiliang --  says the current progress lags behind official schedules. China had achieved just 40 percent of its coal- production reduction goals by the end of July.

The NDRC says Fujian, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan  provinces are among many provinces that have fallen behind government requirements.