A report on air pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, released by Peking University on Aug.7, showed that the average PM2.5 density in 13 cities has fallen from 100.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013 to 72.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016, dropping by 27 percent.

According to a government action plan issued in September 2013, by 2017 the region must cut PM2.5 density by 25 percent from 2012 levels. The report estimated that the region would reach this goal at the end of this year.

Due to the strict control of coal consumption in the past four years, the density of sulfur dioxide has seen a sharp decline in the region. The 2016 average density of sulfur dioxide in Beijing was 10.3 micrograms per cubic meter, the lowest in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

The report also showed that the daily maximum eight-hour average ozone concentration exceeded 70 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016 and reached 107 micrograms per cubic meter in the summer. The study group suggested that effective measures should be taken to control the pollution of the ozone and specific goals could be set in polluted areas in a bid to reduce its concentration.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli gave complements to the significant progress made to prevent and control air pollution in the first half of this year. He stressed that the task has become more difficult and costly as problems tend to emerge during the fall and winter seasons.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region will launch joint law enforcement activities on environment in early August. The focus will be on serious air pollution offenders, especially in the urban-rural fringe areas. In the second half of the year, environmental departments will take action to inspect polluting factories, control the burning of polluting materials and reduce emissions from motor vehicles.

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