The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has released new research that highlights the challenges faced by Chinese cities in reducing air pollution, despite government efforts to improve air quality. According to CREA, half of the cities targeted by the government for air quality improvements failed to meet their targets in the 2022-2023 winter season, while only 41% of cities surpassed the limits in the first quarter of 2024. PM2.5 levels increased by 4.7% year-on-year in the 2022-2023 winter season and only dropped by 1.6% in the 2023-2024 winter season, highlighting ongoing struggles with pollution control.
In December 2023, the State Council released a plan aimed at reducing coal consumption in key regions such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, and Shanxi and Shaanxi in northern China. While reductions in cement and coal production did decrease emissions in the first quarter of 2024, increases in coal-fired power, non-ferrous metals, and petrochemicals offset some of these benefits. Industrial emissions account for about 62% of particulate emissions, making it clear that significant progress is needed to achieve meaningful reductions in pollution levels.
The report also noted that weather changes played a significant role in pollution improvements, as atmospheric conditions such as rainfall, air temperature, pressure, and wind affect pollution levels. Despite this factor, China’s goals fall below air quality targets recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, meeting these targets could still prevent up to 180