China’s three key air pollution control regions met their modest winter targets as efforts to reduce heating-sector emissions and improved end-of-pipe controls in industrial plants offset a more than 10% increase in coal power and heavy industry output. However, more than 80 cities in 16 provinces experienced a substantial number of heavy pollution days in 2020, making the target to “basically eliminate” such days by 2025 a significant nationwide challenge: 10 provinces, including Beijing and Hebei, will need to realize reductions in PM2.5 levels of 20% or more during winter episodes to meet the target.
CREA has carried out detailed modelling to identify the source regions of pollution in cities that recorded a significant amount of heavy pollution days, showing where action needs to be taken to reduce emissions if the 2025 target is to be met.
