Beijing may be starting to win its battle against smog
■ The Chinese capital is set to record its biggest improvement in air quality in at least nine years, with a nearly 20 per cent change for the better this year, based on average concentration levels of hazardous breathable particles known as PM2.5
Beijing may have turned a corner in its battle against the city’s notorious smog, according to Reuters calculations, and environmental consultants say the Chinese government deserves much of the credit for introducing tough anti- pollution measures.
The Chinese capital is set to record its biggest improvement in air quality in at least nine years, with a nearly 20 per cent change for the better this year, based on average concentration levels of hazardous breathable particles known as PM2.5.
The dramatic change, which has occurred across North China, is partly because of favourable weather conditions in the past three months but it also shows that the government’s strong- arm tactics have had an impact.
The Reuters’ estimates show that average levels of the pollutants in the capital have fallen by about 35 per cent from 2012 numbers, with nearly half the improvement this year.
“The improvement in air quality is due both to long- term efforts by the government and short- term efforts this winter,” said Anders Hove, a Beijing- based energy consultant. “After 2013, the air in summers got much cleaner, but winter had not shown much improvement. This year is the first winter improvement we’ve seen during this war on pollution.”
Government officials this week signalled they were confident they were starting to get on top of the problem.
“The autumn and winter period is the most challenging part of the air pollution campaign. However, with the intensive efforts all departments have made, we believe the challenge is being successfully overcome,” Liu Youbin, spokesman for the Ministry of Environmental Protection, told reporters on Thursday.
But environmental experts say that while they are optimistic, it may be too early to celebrate.
“The turning point is here but we cannot rule out the possibility we can turn back,” said Ranping Song, developing country climate action manager for the World Resources Institute.
“We need to be cautious about challenges and not relax now that there have been improvements. There are lots of issues to be solved.”
And while China has scored an initial victory over smog, it still has to reverse public opinion outside China on its air quality.
New York- based travel guidebook publisher Fodor’s advised tourists in mid- November in its ‘ No List” for 2018 to shun Beijing until the city’s anti- pollution campaign had reduced the “overwhelming smog”. Fodor’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In Beijing there is certainly plenty of room for further progress as average air quality is still significantly worse than the World Health Organisation’s recommendations.
And the region still sees bouts of heavy smog. On Friday afternoon the US embassy’s website said Beijing’s air was “very unhealthy” and the city issued a pollution alert on Thursday.
The Reuters calculations showing the improvement were based on average hourly readings of PM2.5 concentrations at the United States Embassy in Beijing from April 8, 2008 to Dec. 28, 2017. The data was compiled from figures from the US embassy’s air monitoring website, as well as data provided by AirVisual, a Beijing company that analyses air quality data.
The data from the embassy, though not fully verified or validated, is the only set available for PM2.5 levels in the capital over that time period. AirVisual provided the hour- by- hour air pollution data from the embassy for recent months.
PM2.5 levels are the most closely monitored because they account for the majority of air pollutants in China and can be harmful to the body when breathed.
Beijing’s air was actually worse in the first nine months of this year than in the same period last year, but PM2.5 concentrations from October to December 28 this year were nearly 60 per cent lower than last year, the Reuters figures show.
Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Huang Wei said that less than half of the improvement is due to favourable weather — particularly stronger northerly winds and low humidity — with the government’s policies behind most of the change.
The Chinese government launched a winter smog “battleplan” in October for 28 northern cities that called for strict rules on emissions during the winter heating months when pollution typically worsens.