On December 7, the State Council issued a notice on the issuance of the Action Plan for Continuous Improvement of Air Quality (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan").
The Action Plan adheres to the general tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability, coordinates the promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion and growth, takes the improvement of air quality as the core, focuses on reducing heavily polluted weather and solving the outstanding atmospheric environmental problems around the people, and vigorously promotes the reduction of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions with the reduction of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration as the main line; We will control pollution in accordance with the law, improve the atmospheric environmental management system, and enhance the ability to prevent and control pollution, and combine research and planning the path of air pollution prevention and control from near and far, solidly promote the green and low-carbon transformation of industry, energy and transportation, strengthen the control of non-point source pollution, strengthen prevention and control at the source, accelerate the formation of green and low-carbon production and lifestyle, and achieve a win-win situation of environmental, economic and social benefits.
The Action Plan sets out targets for continuous improvement in air quality. That is, by 2025, the concentration of PM2.5 in cities at and above the prefecture level will be reduced by 10% compared with 2020, the proportion of days with severe pollution and above will be controlled within 1%, and the total emissions of nitrogen oxides and VOCs will be reduced by more than 10% compared with 2020. PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas and the Fenwei Plain decreased by 20% and 15% respectively, and PM2.5 concentrations in the Yangtze River Delta region generally reached the standard, and Beijing controlled it within 32 micrograms per cubic meter.
The Action Plan proposes to strengthen the construction of mechanisms and improve the atmospheric environment management system. Implement urban air quality compliance management. Municipalities directly under the Central Government and cities divided into districts that do not meet air quality standards shall prepare and implement plans for meeting air quality standards within a time limit, clarify the roadmap and key tasks for meeting standards, and disclose them to the public. Promote coordinated control of PM2.5 and ozone. In 2020, cities with PM2.5 concentrations below 40 micrograms per cubic meter achieved compliance during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and other cities that did not meet the target set air quality improvement targets during the 14th Five-Year Plan. Cities that have met the standards have consolidated and improved air quality.
In September 2013, the State Council issued the "Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan", namely the "Ten Atmospheric Measures", which clearly included 35 measures including the upgrading and transformation of key industries, regional industrial structure adjustment, coal-fired boiler remediation, and comprehensive dust remediation, etc., after the implementation of 5 years, the "Ten Atmospheric Measures" goal was fully realized, and the PM2.5 concentration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions decreased significantly.
In order to consolidate the phased achievements, in June 2018, the State Council issued the "Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense War" to promote the optimization and adjustment of the industrial structure, the adjustment of the energy structure, the adjustment of the transportation structure, the comprehensive coordination of the "oil, road and vehicle" governance, and the strengthening of motor vehicle pollution prevention and control. After three years of implementation, PM2.5 and good days have exceeded the goals and tasks of the 13th Five-Year Plan ahead of schedule, and the people's sense of ecological environment has been significantly enhanced.
Data shows that from 2013 to 2022, the average concentration of PM2.5 in key cities across the country has decreased for nine consecutive years, with a cumulative decrease of 57%, and the number of heavily polluted days has decreased by 93%, bringing significant environmental benefits to improved air quality.
The Action Plan for Continuous Improvement of Air Quality is the third national air pollution control action plan in mainland China after the Action Plan for Air Pollution Prevention and Control and the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense War, which will point out the direction for further improving air quality and promoting high-quality economic development.
Source: China Environment