The Chinese government has prioritized economic growth over reducing pollutants, resulting in half of the cities targeted for air quality improvements not meeting their targets. Despite this, the State Council’s December 2023 plan aimed to reduce coal consumption in certain regions, but increases in coal-fired power, non-ferrous metals, and petrochemicals offset some of the benefits. Industrial emissions account for about 62% of particulate emissions.
According to research by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), 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. In the fourth quarter of 2023, half of the cities targeted by the December air quality action plan failed to reduce concentrations of hazardous particles (PM2.5), while in the first quarter of 2024, 41% of cities surpassed the limits.
The CREA report also highlighted that weather changes play a significant role in pollution improvements, as atmospheric conditions such as rainfall, air temperature, pressure, and wind affect pollution levels. Despite China’s goals falling below air quality targets recommended by the World Health Organization, meeting them could still prevent up to 180,000 pollution-related deaths by 2025.
