How Beijing Improved Its Air Quality: Key Policies Explained

Beijing’s Air Quality Improvement: Key Measures Explained

Date: 22/11/2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping said, “We should build Beijing into a beautiful garden city.” Continuing that vision, the Beijing local government released the Beijing Garden City Plan (2023-2035) recently.

“The plan aims to build Beijing into a livable city that pursues harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and a world-renowned capital that represents the country’s high-quality development and empowers local communities’ engagement in public affairs,” Shi Xiaodong, chief planner of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, said at a press conference on the Garden City Plan.

The Saga of How Beijing Improved Its Air Quality Index (AQI)

Ancient Beijing became the capital of the State of Yan during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th Century-771 BCE). The city became foggy in the year 1975. Over the past decade, the capital city Beijing transformed its air quality through comprehensive policies, strategic investments, and strict enforcement. Once infamous for smog and high PM2.5 levels, Beijing’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has shown significant improvement, becoming a global example of urban pollution control.

“We have strictly implemented the rule that all critical decisions concerning the planning of the capital should be submitted to the CPC Central Committee for approval. Resolute measures have been taken to rectify problems in the fields of planning and natural resources to uphold the authority of the city’s planning. We have formulated the Development Control Plan for the Core Zone Serving Capital Functions, the Development Control Plan for Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC) and the plans for each district and key functional area to further improve the capital’s planning system (Report on the Work of the Government 2023 (Part I) Delivered at the First Session of the Sixteenth Beijing Municipal, People’s Congress on January 15th, 2023, Yin Yong, Acting Mayor of Beijing)

“We have made steady progress in cutting carbon emissions. Energy consumption and CO2 emissions per 10,000 yuan of GRP remain the lowest among provincial-level jurisdictions in China. We have fought to keep our skies blue. The annual average concentration of fine particulate matters (PM2.5) has dropped to 30 μg/m3, down 48.3% since 2017. Beijing’s success in air pollution control has been hailed by the United Nations Environment Program.

The city’s sewage disposal rate has risen from 92.4% to 97%. No cross-sections of water bodies rank below Class V in the national and municipal surface water assessment. All five major rivers now have free-flowing water connecting to the sea. The volume of water in the Miyun Reservoir has reached an all-time high. The groundwater table in the flatlands has been rising for seven consecutive years by a total of 10.1 meters. Beijing has become a national pacesetter in water-use efficiency. 

We have overfulfilled the new one million mu (66,667 hectares) afforestation goal. Large green spaces, such as phase I of Beijing Wenyu River Park, have been created. The China Botanical Garden was officially opened. Forest coverage has reached 44.8%, and green development has become a defining feature of the capital.

We have put in place an integrated transport system. With another 16 subway lines (sections) coming into service, nearly 200 kilometers of mileage has been added, extending the total network to 797 kilometers. With the opening of the Huairou-Miyun Line and others, the suburban railway mileage has increased by 183 kilometers. Qinghe Railway Station, Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station, and Beijing Fengtai Railway Station have opened for service, and a number of urban expressways and arterial roads, such as Lincui Road, have been built. Electronic fee collection for roadside parking now covers almost all roads above collector-road level. Over 3,200 kilometers of non-motorized traffic facilities have been upgraded. The well-regulated shared bikes have made cycling a thriving practice among the capital’s citizens.

We have put in place an innovative mechanism of giving quick answers to community calls and swift response to public complaints. We have encouraged government bodies to take proactive measures to address complaints before they are raised, and 94% of the calls, 100 million in total, that have been made to the “12345” hotline have been properly addressed with a public satisfaction rate of 95%. The difficulty in obtaining property ownership certificates due to legacy issues has been resolved for 342,000 units of housing” (Report on the Work of the Government 2023 (Part I) Delivered at the First Session of the Sixteenth Beijing Municipal, People’s Congress on January 15th, 2023, Yin Yong, Acting Mayor of Beijing).

Key Steps Taken by Beijing to Improve AQI

1. Industrial Regulation
   • Closure of Polluting Industries: Thousands of coal-fired boilers and factories were shut down or relocated outside urban areas.
   • Upgraded Emissions Standards: Industries were mandated to adopt cleaner technologies, reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
2. Transportation Reform
   • Vehicle Emission Standards: Beijing introduced some of the world’s strictest vehicle emissions standards (China VI), comparable to Euro VI.
   • Promotion of Electric Vehicles: Over 500,000 electric vehicles were deployed, supported by widespread charging infrastructure.
   • Traffic Restrictions: Measures like alternating license plate restrictions and expanding public transit reduced vehicular emissions.
3. Energy Transition
   • Coal-to-Gas Conversion: Over $20 billion was invested in switching residential heating and power generation from coal to natural gas.
   • Renewable Energy: Adoption of solar and wind energy in neighboring provinces reduced reliance on coal.
4. Urban Green Initiatives
   • Afforestation Projects: Beijing planted millions of trees, creating urban forests to absorb pollutants.
   • Dust Control: Stricter measures were enforced on construction activities to limit airborne particulates.

Approximate Costs of Air Quality Improvement in Beijing

The cost of Beijing’s air quality improvement campaign is estimated to have exceeded $120 billion. Key expenditures included:

• Coal-to-gas conversion: $20+ billion.
• Industrial relocation and upgrades: $50+ billion.
• Vehicle electrification and public transit expansion: $30+ billion.
• Green infrastructure: $10+ billion.

Legal and Policy Framework

1. Clean Air Action Plans
   • Beijing launched several iterations of its Clean Air Action Plan (2013-2017, 2018-2022), setting ambitious targets for pollution reduction.
   • These plans included clear milestones for PM2.5, NOx, and SO2 reductions.
2. Law Enforcement
   • Heavy penalties for industries and individuals violating emission standards.
   • Deployment of air quality monitoring systems and real-time data transparency.
3. National Legislation Support
   • China’s Environmental Protection Law and Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law empowered local governments to enforce stricter measures.

Results Achieved

• PM2.5 Reduction: Average PM2.5 concentration in Beijing decreased by more than 50% from 2013 to 2021.
• Improved AQI Days: The number of “good air quality days” increased from 176 days in 2013 to over 300 days by 2021.

Bibliography

1. World Health Organization (WHO)
   • Reports on Beijing’s AQI improvement trends.
2. Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment
   • Annual pollution control reports and Clean Air Action Plans.
3. Beijing Municipal Government
   • Data on industrial reforms, coal-to-gas projects, and vehicle electrification.
4. International Energy Agency (IEA)
   • Insights into China’s transition to cleaner energy.

By combining targeted policies, substantial investments, and strict enforcement, Beijing has shown that air quality can be improved even in highly polluted megacities.