China released “Action Plan for Comprehensive Air Pollution Prevention and Control in the Yangtze River Delta Region” 
In the autumn and winter of 2019-2020, the average concentration of PM2.5 was 50%-70% higher than other seasons, and the number of heavy pollution days accounted for more than 95% of the total year in the Yangtze River Delta region. Regarding this situation, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security and other departments jointly released the “Action Plan for Comprehensive Air Pollution Prevention and Control in the Yangtze River Delta Region in the Autumn and Winter 2020-2021” (hereinafter called “Plan”) on October 30, 2020.
Specific targets
According to the plan, the specific targets are as follows, from October to December 2020, the average PM2.5 concentration in the Yangtze River Delta region should be kept within 45 μg/m3. From January to March 2021, the average PM2.5 concentration in the Yangtze River Delta region should be kept within 58 μg/m3. The respective targets for each city have also been identified.
Target cities
In addition to Shanghai, the following cities are also included in the implementation area of the Plan:
Jiangsu Province: Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Lianyungang, Huai’an, Yancheng, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Taizhou, Suqian.
Zhejiang Province: Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Jinhua, Quzhou, Zhoushan, Taizhou, Lishui.
Anhui Province: Hefei, Huaibei, Haozhou, Suzhou, Fuyang, Bengbu, Huainan, Chuzhou, Lu’an, Ma’anshan, Wuhu, Xuancheng, Tongling, Chizhou, Anqing, Huangshan.
Implementation measures
The plan set out the following measures in respond to heavily polluted weather to lead the blue-sky defense war to success.
- 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.
- Continuously promote the control of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) .
- Promote the shift of “transfer from trucks to rail “and “transfer from trucks to waterways” for freight transportation.
- Speed up the elimination of diesel trucks.
- Strengthen the construction of ship emission control zones and green ports.
- Tighter the control of total coal consumption.
- Strengthen the crackdown of boilers and furnaces.
- Strengthen dust control measures.
- Strengthen the management of straw burning.
- Promote regional collaboration mechanisms regarding heavily polluted weather prevention.
- Implement the differentiated pollution reduction management for enterprises based on their environmental performance grading.
- Promote the emergency emissions reduction list.
- Actively carry out emergency response to heavy pollution weather.
The original article can be found from the following URL (Simplified Chinese)
https://www.mee.gov.cn/xxgk2018/xxgk/xxgk03/202011/t20201103_806151.html
