Beijing issued its first pollution discharge permit to a company in the city’s Tongzhou District recently, marking the beginning of the permit-based pollution discharge system in the Chinese capital.

China’s State Council rolled out a permit system for discharging pollutant last November, requiring businesses to obtain permits before emitting pollutants. Previously, companies in Beijing usually let out pollutants based on environmental impact assessment. All businesses in the capital city are expected to have permits by 2020.

The permit is printed with a unified code and has a QR code containing information such as the address of the company, discharge location and emission elements, as well as the upper limit of annual pollutants.

Companies that are among the first to have permits in Beijing are thermal power plants and paper mills, as well as factories which have chimneys that are over 45 meters high in the Beijing-Tianjin-Heibei region.

Additionally, local environmental authorities have streamlined the process for companies to apply for permits.

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