BEIJING: The latest measures outlined by China to curb air pollution and promote its green transition by next year will pave the way for bluer skies and healthier lives while further propelling the nation’s response to climate change, officials and analysts said.
An action plan aimed at improving air quality published by the State Council, China’s Cabinet, last month included key targets to reduce the density of air pollutants in cities and shore up green industrial shifts, build a cleaner energy mix and develop a low-carbon transport system.
The action plan also mapped out key regions for air quality improvement, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta region and the Fenwei Plain, an area that comprises parts of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces.
According to the plan, the nation is targeting a 10 percent reduction in the density of PM2.5 — particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less — in prefecture-level cities next year when compared with levels in 2020.
According to the World Health Organization, exposure to PM2.5 can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases such as stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The density of PM2.5 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas will be reduced by 20 percent, and that in the Fenwei Plain by 15 percent. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
