Beijing turned corner in battle against pollution
Print Edition
Beijing may have turned a corner in its battle against the city’s notorious smog, according to calculations, while environmental consultants say the Chinese government deserves much of the credit for introducing tough anti-pollution measures.
The Chinese capital is set to record its biggest improvement in air quality in nine years, nearly 20 percent change for the better this year, based on average concentration levels of hazardous breathable particles known as PM2.5.
The dramatic change, which has occurred across North China, is partly because of favorable weather conditions in the past three months but it also shows that the government’s strong-arm tactics have had an impact.
Estimates show that average levels of pollutants in the capital have fallen by 35 percent from 2012, with nearly half the improvement this year.
“The improvement in air quality is due both to long-term efforts by the government and short-term efforts this winter,” said Anders Hove, a Beijing-based energy consultant. “After 2013, the air in summers got much cleaner, but winter had not shown much improvement. This year is the first winter improvement we’ve seen during this war on pollution.”
“The autumn and winter period is the most challenging part of the air pollution campaign. However, with the intensive efforts all departments have made, we believe the challenge is being successfully overcome,” said Liu Youbin, spokesman for the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
But environmental experts say that while they are optimistic, it may be too early to celebrate.
“The turning point is here but we cannot rule out the possibility we can turn back,” said Song Ranping, developing country climate action manager for the World Resources Institute. “We need to be cautious about challenges and not relax now that there have been improvements. There are lots of issues to be solved.”
And while China has scored an initial victory over smog, it still has to reverse public opinion outside China on its air quality. In Beijing there is certainly plenty of room for further progress as average air quality is still significantly worse than the World Health Organization’s recommendations.
Calculations showing the improvement were based on average hourly readings of PM2.5 concentrations at the US Embassy in Beijing from April 8, 2008 to December 28, 2017. The data was compiled from figures from the US embassy’s air monitoring website, as well as data provided by AirVisual, a Beijing company that analyses air quality data.
AirVisual provided the hour-by-hour air pollution data from the embassy for recent months. PM2.5 levels are the most closely monitored because they account for the majority of air pollutants in China and can be harmful to the body when breathed.
Beijing’s air was worse in the first nine months of last year than in the same period the year before, but PM2.5 concentrations from October to December 28 last year were nearly 60 percent lower than the year before.
The Chinese government launched a winter smog “battleplan” in October for 28 northern cities that called for strict rules on emissions during the winter months when pollution worsens.
The plan for the winter months included switching millions of households and industrial users to natural gas from coal for their heating and some other needs. There were also mandated cuts in steel production by up to 50 percent in some of the areas surrounding the city.
Beijing’s improving air quality stands in stark contrast to India’s capital New Delhi, where pollution has steadily become worse and well above Beijing’s.
China’s improvement means the nation is not among the 10 worst countries for pollution in the world anymore.
“At the national level, India tops the index rankings, followed by Bangladesh and Thailand,” said Richard Hewston, global head of environment and climate change at risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, which measures 198 countries for air quality.
Beijing’s clean-air campaign hasn’t been without its challenges.
The government has botched the switch from coal to natural gas, leading to recent widespread shortages of gas, soaring liquefied natural gas prices, leaving some residents freezing in their homes and some factories shuttered.
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