Chinese Premier Outlines Measures For Tackling Pollutant Emissions Nationwide

摘要

China's premier has outlined a series of measures the country will use to construct a national air pollution control plan, the State Council said in a meeting summary posted on its website June 14. While most of the measures are not new initiatives, some have been strengthened or have had their deadlines moved up. Premier Li Keqiang said the government hopes to reduce emissions of key air pollutants per unit of gross domestic product 30 percent by 2017 in certain industries but did not specify the baseline year or the pollutants. Under the current 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), China has national goals to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions 8 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions 10 percent by the end of 2015, compared to 2010 levels. The State Council is China's top decisionmaking body. Further details on the measures were not released but could be contained in forthcoming regulations and guidelines.