China aims to eliminate severe air pollution in 2025

HONG KONG - China aims to effectively eliminate severe air pollution by the end of 2025, a senior environment official said, as the authorities ramp up efforts in pollution control and emissions reduction in the “battle for blue skies”.

China will improve its air-quality forecasting and early warning systems and enhance coordinated management of harmful airborne particles known as PM2.5, as well as ozone pollution, said Mr Li Tianwei, director of the Department of Atmospheric Environment.

“The battle for blue skies remains unchanged,” Mr Li said according to a transcript on the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s website on Feb 25.

Though some progress has been made, air pollution remains a major problem in China and affects economies and people’s quality of life, said the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Air pollution is responsible for about two million deaths in China annually, the WHO said.

Of those deaths, ambient air pollution caused more than one million deaths, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused another million deaths, it said on its website.

The WHO considers PM2.5 concentrations above 50 micrograms per cubic metre “severe” air pollution.

China’s air quality improved significantly in 2024, Mr Li said. The average concentration of PM2.5 in cities was 29.3 micrograms per cubic metre, a year-on-year decrease of 2.7 per cent.

The proportion of days with good air quality reached 87.2 per cent, up by 1.7 percentage points year on year.

China must introduce new emission standards that align with global best practises, Mr Li said, adding that the country will boost the share of new energy vehicles and machinery in airports, ports and logistics parks.

The authorities also plan to promote the long-distance transportation of bulk goods by rail and water, rather than by roads.

President Xi Jinping has said