China’s war on smog targets coal-fired power and diesel trucks – and will punish failing cities
- In third winter of curbs, cities that have failed air standards must make further PM2.5 cuts as part of Beijing’s campaign to counter pollution
- Ministry to encourage cleaner fuels and crack down harder on substandard diesel vehicles
China will extend winter anti-smog measures such as production cuts and traffic restrictions for a third winter in a row, the environment ministry said in a pollution battle plan for 2019 published on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) also vowed to speed up the elimination of small coal-fired heating boilers in major regions. It will step up the elimination of outdated and excessive production capacity in polluting sectors such as steel, coal and coal-fired power.
However, according to Reuters analysis, only six of 39 smog-prone northern Chinese cities have managed to cut concentrations of hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 during the latest winter anti-smog campaign beginning last October. Average PM2.5 concentrations actually rose 13 per cent over the period.
That will mean the cities have to make further cuts this year. The MEE’s new plan said cities that failed to meet air quality standards this winter would have to cut PM2.5 by at least 2 per cent in 2019.