Latest news with #DepartmentofAtmosphericEnvironment
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Government sets urgent deadline to confront 'severe' looming crisis: 'The battle … remains unchanged'
The Chinese government announced its commitment to eliminate severe air pollution by the end of 2025. "The battle for blue skies remains unchanged," Li Tianwei, director of the Department of Atmospheric Environment, said, Reuters reported. About 2 million people die yearly from China's air pollution. One million of those deaths are attributed to "ambient air pollution," which refers to outdoor air pollutants. This pollution impacts everyone who lives in China and surrounding countries. As one of the world's leaders in pollution, China with its poor air quality hurts the whole world. Ozone pollution and harmful airborne particles called PM2.5 are the main contributors to the "severe" air quality conditions. The World Health Organization defines "severe" pollution as PM2.5 concentration above 50 micrograms per cubic meter. China's average concentration in 2024 was 29.3. The country's air is improving but slowly. The government plans to introduce more clean-energy vehicles and machinery to ports, airports, and logistics parks. These changes will reduce the use of dirty fuels. They will prioritize long-distance transportation of bulk goods via railways and waterways instead of roads. According to Sustainability Magazine, China is also making vehicle pollution standards stricter. Its vehicle industry has grown rapidly, leading to a substantial increase in emissions. Roughly 10% of China's carbon pollution comes from transportation. So, sweeping changes in the transportation sector could have a significant and positive impact. The nation is also moving toward cleaner energy sources and away from coal and oil. While vehicle emissions are serious, industrialism contributes even more to China's smog. But advanced technologies in factories can help reduce the dangerous pollution. According to The Guardian, experts are optimistic about China's plan to go greener, with a climate think tank revealing that almost half say they believe the country's pollution has peaked or will peak in 2025. Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, explained what China needs to do, saying: "In order to align with the Paris agreement … China will need to either speed up renewable energy deployment even further or guide economic development in a less energy-intensive direction." Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The country's efforts won't just help their citizens, but will also make the planet healthier for everyone. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Independent
25-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
How China plans to eliminate severe air pollution within months
Chinese authorities are ramping up efforts in pollution control and emissions reduction in a bid to effectively eliminate severe air pollution by the end of 2025. Senior environment official, Li Tianwei, the Director of the Department of Atmospheric Environment said China will aim to do so by improving air quality forecasting and early warning systems, as well as enhancing its coordinated management of harmful airborne particles known as PM2.5, and ozone pollution. "The battle for blue skies remains unchanged," Li said according to a transcript on the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's website on Monday. Though some progress has been made, air pollution remains a major problem in China and affects economies and people's quality of life, said the World Health Organization (WHO). Air pollution is responsible for about two million deaths in China annually, the WHO said. Of those deaths, ambient air pollution caused more than one million deaths, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused another million deaths, it said on its website. The WHO considers PM2.5 concentrations above 50 micrograms per cubic metre "severe" air pollution. China's air quality improved significantly in 2024, Li said. The average concentration of PM2.5 in cities was 29.3 micrograms per cubic metre, a year-on-year decrease of 2.7 per cent. The proportion of days with good air quality reached 87.2 per cent, up by 1.7 percentage points year-on-year. China must introduce new emission standards that align with global best practises, Li said, adding that the country will boost the share of new energy vehicles and machinery in airports, ports and logistics parks. Authorities also plan to promote the long-distance transportation of bulk goods by rail and water, rather than by roads. President Xi Jinping has said China prioritises environmental protection, promoting green lifestyles and that conservation of nature is an essential part of building a modern socialist country.
Khaleej Times
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
China aims to eliminate severe air pollution this year
China aims to effectively eliminate severe air pollution by the end of 2025, a senior environment official said, as authorities ramp up efforts in pollution control and emissions reduction in the "battle for blue skies." China will improve its air quality forecasting and early warning systems and enhance coordinated management of harmful airborne particles known as PM2.5, as well as ozone pollution, said Li Tianwei, Director of the Department of Atmospheric Environment. "The battle for blue skies remains unchanged," Li said according to a transcript on the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's website on Monday. Though some progress has been made, air pollution remains a major problem in China and affects economies and people's quality of life, said the World Health Organization (WHO). Air pollution is responsible for about 2 million deaths in China annually, the WHO said. Of those deaths, ambient air pollution caused more than 1 million deaths, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused another million deaths, it said on its website. The WHO considers PM2.5 concentrations above 50 micrograms per cubic metre "severe" air pollution. China's air quality improved significantly in 2024, Li said. The average concentration of PM2.5 in cities was 29.3 micrograms per cubic metre, a year-on-year decrease of 2.7%. The proportion of days with good air quality reached 87.2%, up by 1.7 percentage points year-on-year. China must introduce new emission standards that align with global best practises, Li said, adding that the country will boost the share of new energy vehicles and machinery in airports, ports and logistics parks. Authorities also plan to promote the long-distance transportation of bulk goods by rail and water, rather than by roads. President Xi Jinping has said China prioritises environmental protection, promoting green lifestyles and that conservation of nature is an essential part of building a modern socialist country.
Reuters
25-02-2025
- Health
- Reuters
China aims to eliminate severe air pollution this year
HONG KONG, Feb 25 (Reuters) - China aims to effectively eliminate severe air pollution by the end of 2025, a senior environment official said, as authorities ramp up efforts in pollution control and emissions reduction in the "battle for blue skies." China will improve its air quality forecasting and early warning systems and enhance coordinated management of harmful airborne particles known as PM2.5, as well as ozone pollution, said Li Tianwei, Director of the Department of Atmospheric Environment. "The battle for blue skies remains unchanged," Li said according to a transcript on the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's website on Monday. Though some progress has been made, air pollution remains a major problem in China and affects economies and people's quality of life, said the World Health Organization (WHO). Air pollution is responsible for about 2 million deaths in China annually, the WHO said. Of those deaths, ambient air pollution caused more than 1 million deaths, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused another million deaths, it said on its website. The WHO considers PM2.5 concentrations above 50 micrograms per cubic metre "severe" air pollution. China's air quality improved significantly in 2024, Li said. The average concentration of PM2.5 in cities was 29.3 micrograms per cubic metre, a year-on-year decrease of 2.7%. The proportion of days with good air quality reached 87.2%, up by 1.7 percentage points year-on-year. China must introduce new emission standards that align with global best practises, Li said, adding that the country will boost the share of new energy vehicles and machinery in airports, ports and logistics parks. Authorities also plan to promote the long-distance transportation of bulk goods by rail and water, rather than by roads. President Xi Jinping has said China prioritises environmental protection, promoting green lifestyles and that conservation of nature is an essential part of building a modern socialist country.
