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Enforcement, not inspections, key to battling air pollution
Recent studies say climate change could be exacerbating the problem in China, which is all the more reason to pursue measures to effectively reduce smog
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The mainland’s environmental watchdog is rolling out spot checks on businesses and local governments across the country this year for compliance with legislation on air pollution. This follows a pilot scheme last year in 16 cities and provinces that resulted in 6,400 people being punished or held responsible for breaches, and a new study that suggests the country could prevent three million premature deaths a year by enforcing stricter air-quality standards.
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The study, published by a team from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in The BMJ, originally called the British Medical Journal, says lives would be saved by enforcing World Health Organisation guidelines for the level of harmful airborne small particles. However, three years after Premier Li Keqiang (李克強) pledged that the government would wage a war on air pollution, and despite reductions in emissions, the mainland continues to suffer from high levels of air pollution.
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One reason, paradoxically, may be found in another study that suggests climate change may also aggravate existing pollution, meaning emissions reduction efforts may be less effective, or take longer and cost more because of global warming.
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