China aims to effectively eliminate severe air pollution at the end of 2025, said a senior environment of the environment, as the authorities increase efforts in the control of pollution and reduction of emissions in the “battle for the blue skies “.
China will improve its air quality forecast and early alert systems and improve the coordinated management of harmful particles in the air known as PM2.5, as well as ozone pollution, said Li Tianwei, director of the Department of Atmospheric Environment.
“The battle for the blue skies still does not change,” Li said, according to a transcription on the website of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on Monday.
Although some progress has been made, air pollution remains an important problem in China and affects the economies and quality of life of people, said the World Health Organization (WHO).
Air pollution is responsible for approximately two million deaths in China annually, WHO said. Of these deaths, ambient air pollution caused more than one million deaths, while cooking house pollution with fuels and polluting technologies caused another million deaths, he said on his website.
WHO considers PM2.5 concentrations above 50 micrograms per cubic meter of “severe” pollution of air.
China's air quality improved significantly in 2024, Li said. The average concentration of PM2.5 in the cities was 29.3 micrograms per cubic meter, an interannual decrease of 2.7%.
The proportion of days with good air quality reached 87.2%, an increase in 1.7 percentage points year after year.
China must introduce new emission standards that are aligned with global best practices, said Li, and added that the country will increase the proportion of new energy and machinery vehicles in airports, ports and logistics parks.
Authorities also plan to promote long -distance transport from bulk goods in rail and water, instead of roads.
President Xi Jinping has said that China prioritizes environmental protection, promoting green lifestyles and that the conservation of nature is an essential part of the construction of a modern socialist country.
