Editor's note: Lingering hazardous smog that shrouded over 100 cities in China during the first week of December has once again aroused concerns over China's air pollution and how effective current measures to deal with it are. China.org.cn has summarized China's efforts to tackle serious air pollution.

 

Setting a new emission reduction target

 

 

In January, China set a new emissions reduction target for 2013 by promoting an aggregate indicator budget control system for major pollutants.

The target said emissions of chemical oxygen demand and sulfur dioxide in 2013 will be reduced by two percent year on year, while ammonia nitrogen and nitrogen oxides will fall by 2.5 percent and three percent.

By 2015, China aims to reduce PM2.5 intensity in three key regions by six percent annually.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection also set timetables for cities experiencing different degrees of air pollution. Cities where average air pollution levels are 15 percent higher than the national standard or less should work to bring the levels to standard by 2015.

Cities suffering heavy air pollution that is 30 percent above the national standard or higher should try to meet standards by 2030, and cities between the previously mentioned categories are expected to meet the standards by 2020.