China released the “Action Plan for Comprehensive Control for Air Pollution of Beijing-Tianjin- Hebei Areas” 
On 30, Dec 2020, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, and other departments of the People’s Republic of China jointly released the “Action Plan for Comprehensive Control for Air Pollution of Beijing-Tianjin- Hebei Areas and Fenwei Plain in the Autumn and Winter”, to ensure the comprehensive control for air pollution can be carried out continually in autumn and winter of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (hereafter called Jing-Jin-Ji) and thier surrounding areas, as well as the Fenwei Plain, which has the highest concentration of PM2.5, and to make sure the target of Blue Sky Defense War can be achieved.
According to the Action Plan, the target of this plan has been set same as the target of “Three Year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense War”. Taking the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic in 2020 into account, the target of autumn and winter in 2020-2021 is divided into two stages. Based on the pollution level in the first quarter and fourth quarter of 2019, the control target of PM2.5 concentration reduction and the heavy pollution days are determined for each city. The target is divided into 6 levels according to pollution levels, the PM2.5 concentration varies by 1% for each level, and the heavy pollution days varies 2 days for each level.
The details of the target are as follows. From October to December 2020, the average concentration of PM2.5 in Jing-Jin-Ji and their surrounding areas should be controlled within 63ug/m3, and the average number of severe pollution days should be controlled within 5 days for each city. For the Fenwei Plain, the average concentration of PM2.5 should be controlled within 62ug/m3, and the average number of severe pollution days within 5 days.
For the period from January to March 2021, the average concentration of PM2.5 should be controlled within 86ug/m3, the average number of severe pollution days should be controlled within 12 days for each city. And for the Fenwei Plain, the average concentration of PM2.5 should within 90ug/m3, the average number of severe pollution days should within 13 days.
To cope with the heavy pollution weather, and achieving the success of Blue Sky Defense War, the following measures are listed in the Action Plan.
- Implement the differentiated pollution reduction management for enterprises based on their environmental performance grading.
- Complete the emergency emission reduction list with high standards.
- Actively carry out emergency response to heavy pollution weather.
- Strengthen the cooperation of emergency response to heavy pollution weather among areas.
- Promote project of clean heating replace decentralized coal heating.
- Strengthen the control of prohibiting straw burning.
- Prevent the emergence of enterprise that is “dirty, disorderly, bad performance” (Here refer to the polluting enterprises that do not meet the local plan, have not go through relevant procedures, and cannot reach the emission standards stably).
- Implement the transformation of ultra-low emission for steel industry orderly.
- Implement the project of “transfer from road to railway for good transportation”.
- Speed up the elimination of diesel trucks.
- Implement the requirements for industrial restructuring.
- Strengthen the elimination of coal-fired boiler.
- Continue to promote the control of volatile organic compounds.
- Strengthen dust control.
The original text of the Action Plan can be found from the link below. (Simplified Chinese)
https://www.mee.gov.cn/xxgk2018/xxgk/xxgk03/202011/t20201103_806152.html
