Shanghai has made environmental protection a major focus for the city government this year.
Mayor Yang Xiong said investment in environmental protection will be maintained at around 3 percent of the city's economic output. The city will further reduce energy and carbon intensity, and fulfil the emission reduction targets for major pollutants required by the central government.
"It is all the more imperative to break away from the conventional path of development — environmental capacity is strained, and air pollution such as haze has become a pronounced problem," Yang said.
Shanghai is to step up resource conservation and environmental protection through promoting the use of clean energy such as wind and solar power, and by calling for more distributed energy supply as well as new energy vehicles.
"We will pay more attention to the atmospheric environment, especially the treatment of PM2.5," Yang said, referring to the tiny particles hazardous to health.
About 70,000 polluting vehicles will be retired this year, and the treatment of volatile organic compounds and flying dust will be strengthened.
Meanwhile, Yang promised the "strictest ever" regulations on arable land protection and land use, and the drawing up of a plan to protect and manage the soil.
Last year, Shanghai phased out 660 low-performing facilities and installations, and the 2014 target is to eliminate 500 heavily polluting installations and facilities.