This website has written extensively about air quality in China since the central government began to take the issue seriously in 2013.
That was the year the media coined the term “Airpocalypse” to describe the off-the-charts air pollution in Beijing at the beginning of 2013, and also used for the extreme air pollution episodes in Shanghai later in 2013.
Severe haze and smog had covered huge swathes of the country in the beginning of the year affecting about half the population with some major cities seeing PM2.5 (fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less) concentrations in excess of 1,000 ug/m3.
With the air quality in China rapidly deteriorating in more regions of the country the central government enacted ‘The Airborne Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (2013-17)’ in September 2013.
This plan set strict targets for reductions in air pollution in many regions and key cities in China to be met by the end of 2017, as well as listed specific measures to reach those targets.
This article looks at the final push to meet those targets in 2017.
More Air Quality in China Articles:
- China Air Pollution 2018
- China’s New Air Pollution Action Plan (2018-2020)
- China Air Quality Terms and Data
- China Air Pollution Study
- Air Pollution in China 2013
- China Air Pollution 2015
The Airborne Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (2013-17)
The Action Plan (Action Plan in Chinese) issued by the State Council set several specific targets to be reached by 2017 based on 2012 pollution levels:
- China’s 338 county-level and above cities: 10% reduction of course particulate matter, aka PM10 (particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less).
- Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region: About 25% reduction of PM2.5 annual average concentration.
- The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region (including Shanghai): About 20% reduction of PM2.5 annual average concentration.
- The Pearl River Delta (PRD) region (including Guangzhou): About 15% reduction of PM2.5 annual average concentration.
- Beijing municipality: Reduce its annual average PM2.5 concentration to about 60 ug/m3.
- China: Reduce the proportion of coal in the energy consumption mix from 68% to less than 65%.
- China: Cut iron and steel-making capacity by 15 million tons.
- China: Increase non-fossil fuel as a proportion of total fuel consumption from 9.1% to 13%.
As well as 35 measures to reduce overall air pollution including:
- Bringing volatile organic compounds under control.
- Achieving negative coal consumption in several regions,
- Begin the monitoring and publication of air toxin levels in all 338 cities before 2015,
- Banning heavily-polluting motor vehicles from the streets by 2017 and controlling the number of vehicles on the roads in several major cities.
Air Toxin Levels in China in 2013
PM2.5 levels had only recently begun to be monitored and data publicized in a few major Chinese cities.
This toxin is small enough to breathe deeply into the lungs and enter the blood stream. It was the main concern of the Chinese public as it brought on the ominous grey skies and reduction in visibility along with immediate health impacts such as coughing and uncomfortable breathing especially for sensitive groups.
In 2013 the annual average concentration of PM2.5 in Shanghai was 62 ug/m3 and Beijing was 90 ug/m3. Both much higher than the WHO recommended maximum annual average level of 10 ug/m3.
These levels were also much higher than China’s own standard for healthy air set in 2012 requiring the annual average concentration of PM2.5 to be less than 35 ug/m3.
The other air toxins included in the air quality index (AQI): ground-level ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were not given specific reduction targets, but would also be tackled by the measures laid out in this plan to improve air quality in China.
Air Quality in China Improving
Between 2013 and 2016 the many measures implemented by the central and local governments in order to meet the targets in the Action Plan have greatly improved air quality in China.
From 2013 to 2016 the annual average density of PM10 in the 338 prefecture-level and above cities monitored by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) dropped by 15.5 percent.
Of course, national averages for a country the size of China mean little. Our health is dependent on the quality of the air we breathe locally everyday. So regional air quality data is much more relevant. Fortunately, statistics showed even bigger average improvements for many regions around China.
Between 2013 and 2016:
- the density of PM2.5 fell 33% in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region
- the density of PM2.5 fell 31.3% in the Yangtze River delta (YRD)
- the density of PM2.5 fell 31.9% in the Pearl River delta (PRD)
- the density of PM2.5 fell 18% in Beijing
- the density of PM2.5 fell 27% in Shanghai
But many cities in China including Beijing were still not meeting their targets set in the Action Plan, let alone enjoying healthy air quality.
Only 84 out of the 338 cities monitored achieved the national air quality standard in 2016, with Beijing (73 µg/m3) and Shanghai (45 µg/m3) both failing.
So 2017 was a critical year to see if the measures enacted by the government were enough to achieve its targets.
New Air Quality Measures for 2017
Like previous years, the central and local governments continued to role out new measures to improve air quality in China. In 2017 These included:
- Committing billions of dollars over the coming 3 years to convert winter heating systems from coal to clean energy. More than 3 million households in Northern China will be refitted to use electricity or natural gas.
- At the opening of China’s parliament’s annual session in early March, 2017 Premier Li Keqiang declared that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions would be cut by 3% in 2017.
- Stricter enforcement of environmental laws saw huge increases in the number of companies punished and forced to cease production due to violations. Increased inspections throughout northern China caught many more violators.
- Small coal-fired furnaces in cities at the prefecture-level and above across China to be shut down in 2017.
- Coal-fired power plants around China will be upgraded to achieve ultra-low emissions and energy conservation between 2017 and 2020.
- Increasing the use of ethanol blended with gasoline to reduce vehicle emissions.
- Beijing announced new measures to cut air pollution including:
– Investing US$2.6 billion (RMB 18 billion) to combat air pollution in 2017.
– Cut coal consumption by 3 million tons.
– Shut down at least 500 polluting plants.
– Strictly supervise heavy polluting vehicles.
Air Quality in China In Early 2017
We noted in our Shanghai smog article that air quality in Shanghai continued to improve in 2017.
Moreover, Shanghai already bettered its 2017 air quality target set in 2013 one year ahead of schedule in 2016.
The fight against air pollution in the North and other parts of China, however, had a much bumpier ride in 2017.
Smog in Beijing actually increased in the first four months of 2017.
It dramatically reduced from May to August, but September 2017 was a worse month for air pollution compared to the same period in 2016. The density of PM10 surged by more than 50% and the number of ‘good’ air quality days, at just over 50%, was down 13.4% from the same month one year earlier.
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region which includes 13 monitored cities, also experienced worse air quality in the first three quarters of the year. The density of PM10 increased by 10.7%, and the density of PM2.5 increased by 10.3% compared to the same period in 2016.
And the country as whole, as measured by the average of the 338 cities, also reported the number of ‘good’ air quality days in the first 3 quarters of 2017, at 79.4%, was slightly lower than the year before.*[1]
Last Push to Meet Air Quality in China Targets
By the late summer of 2017 many parts of China and especially the North were at risk of not meeting the targets set out in 2013. And this was before the winter heating season from Nov. 15 to March 15th had even begun.
This period traditionally sees a 30% seasonal increase in air pollution in China’s North. The increased emissions mainly came from the coal-fired central heating systems that had been installed since the 1950’s in cities to the North of the Huai River.
These systems have been blamed for a reduction in lifespan of 3.1 years for residents of the North as compared to the South where no such central heating systems were installed.
Seeing the targets slip away, the central government came into action.
In late August 2017 The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) issued a new Battle Plan to fight pollution for the winter months of October 2017 to March 2018 covering Beijing, Tianjin and 26 other cities in Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Shanxi provinces. These provinces are home to many of China’s heavy polluting steel and aluminum factories, coal mines and chemical plants.
The plan included:
- Reducing average concentrations of PM2.5 by 15% during the October 2017 to March 2018 winter season compared to the previous year for the whole region.
- Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang required to cut their average PM2.5 density by 25% relative to the same period in 2016/2017.
- Major steel producing cities must have plans in place to cut steel output by as much as 50% during the winter.
- Coal consumption in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei will be cut by 11.2 million metric tons.
- Establishment of a new Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regional environmental protection bureau.
- Beijing also enacted new measures connected to the Battle Plan such as:
– Suspending work at construction sites which generate dust from Nov 15, 2017 to March 15, 2018.
– Reducing the criteria for Red Alerts with associated measures to be kicked in such as shutting down factories and reducing the number of cars allowed on roads.
Success for the Winter Air Pollution Battle Plan
The Battle Plan implemented by the central government along with favorable weather conditions resulted in significant improvements in air quality for many Chinese cities in the last quarter of 2017. All 28 Northern cities listed in the Plan exceeded their targets including:
- Region as a whole: Average PM2.5 concentration dropped to 71 ug/m3, a 34.3% reduction compared to same quarter of 2016, far exceeding the 15% target.
- Beijing: Reduction of 53.8%, also far exceeding its 25% target.
- Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province: The biggest improvement with a reduction in average PM2.5 concentration of 54.8%.
Air Quality Targets Achieved
Thanks to the significant improvements in the last quarter, most cities and regions were able to reach the air quality targets set in 2013.*[2]
- The annual average PM10 concentration in the 338 monitored Chinese cities across the country dropped to 75 ug/m3 in 2017, a 22.7% reduction from 2013.
The annual average concentration of PM2.5 was 43 ug/m3 in 2017, down by 6.5% from 2016. - BTH region: The annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2017 was 64.6 ug/m3, a 39.6% reduction from 2013.*[3]
- YRD region: The annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2017 was 44.7 ug/m3, a 34.3% reduction from 2013.
- PRD region: The annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2017 was 34.8 ug/m3, a 27.7% reduction from 2013. (One region that actually met China’s own healthy air standard of 35 ug/m3).
- Beijing: The annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2017 was 58 ug/m3, a 35.6% reduction from 2013; slightly beating its target of 60 ug/m3.
Other air pollutants in Beijing also declined significantly. - Hebei province: The annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2017 was 65 ug/m3, about a 40% reduction from 2013.
Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and PM10 levels also saw significant reductions. - Shanghai: The annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2017 was 39 ug/m3, once again beating its 2017 target of 48 ug/m3 set in 2013.
- China cut steel production capacity by 170 million tonnes between 2012 and 2017.
- The proportion of coal usage in total energy consumption dropped 8.1 percentage points to 60.4%.
- The proportion of renewable energy increased by 6.3% between 2012 and 2017.
Air Quality Still Below Standards
The final statistics for air quality in China in 2017 was not all good news. While air quality in most major coastal regions improved it deteriorated in some inland cities partly due to the relocation of polluting factories to more remote regions.
In 2017 only 98 of China’s 338 prefecture and above cities (29%) met China’s air quality standard.
Air quality in Xi’an, China’s ancient capital famous for its terracotta army and now the provincial capital of Shaanxi, actually deteriorated in both 2016 and 2017 partly due to local governments missing targets to reduce coal consumption. However, it was still announced that PM2.5 concentration in 2017 was 30.5% lower than the 2013 level in Xi’an.
Xi’an is located in the region known as The Fen-Wei Plains. This region was not one of the key targeted regions in China’s original 2013 Action Plan, but certainly will become a new focus in China’s battle against air pollution.
Chengdu, a major city in China’s South West famous for Panda bears and spicy food also saw air quality deteriorate in 2016, but fortunately saw a significant improvement in 2017.
Beijing’s annual average PM2.5 level was still 66% higher than the national standard in 2017, and almost 6 times the maximum annual average level recommended by the WHO of 10 ug/m3. Nitrogen dioxide was 15% higher and PM10 20% higher than the national standard.
The PRD region was one region that met China’s own air quality standard, but it has seen no improvement since 2015 when the annual average PM2.5 concentration was 34.4 ug/m3; deteriorating slightly to 34.8 in 2017.
Ozone levels have also been rising in many cities around the country. Although not causing anywhere near the number of deaths as PM2.5 pollution, the trend of rising ground-level Ozone is a worry.
Beneficial weather patterns with a record number of cold fronts helping to blow away pollution from Beijing and other cities also partly contributed to the progress in improving air quality in late 2017; which is not necessarily sustainable.
Economic Costs
The Battle Plan implemented to meet targets also had high economic costs.
In September and October 2017 over 130,000 polluting companies in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were forced to suspend production or shut down.
Some reports acknowledge that billions of Yuan in losses occured due to factory and plant suspensions.
The switch to natural gas for winter-heating was also not smooth in 2017. Coal-burning generators had to be turned back on in parts of Beijing and other cities in Northern China due to a lack of fuel.
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, however, declared that fighting air pollution will only benefit and not harm China’s economy.
New Air Quality in China Targets
Coming near to the end of the Action Plan in 2017, Beijing set itself a new target to reduce annual average PM2.5 density to 56 ug/m3 by 2020. Shanghai also set a new target in early 2017 for PM2.5 annual average concentration to be lowered to 42 ug/m3 by 2020.
These amounts, however, are still well above healthy air standards and not ambitious considering they were almost achieved by Beijing in 2017 and already exceeded by Shanghai in the same year.
At the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017, the Minister of Environmental Protection Li Ganjie stated that by 2035 the annual average PM2.5 density nationwide will be lowered to meet China’s national healthy air standard of 35 µg/m3. The World Health Organization (WHO) standard for healthy air, however, is much lower at 10 µg/m3.
Expats living in many parts of the country and especially the North will need to be aware of air quality in China for years to come. Read our air pollution solutions article to see how you can protect yourself from smog in China.