A group of experts from Beijing shared the progress and experience gained by the Chinese capital in combating air pollution at the annual U.N. Global Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment in Nairobi, Kenya, from Dec. 2-3.
At the forum, He Kebin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and dean of the School of Environment of Tsinghua University, gave a detailed presentation on the outcomes of Beijing's air pollution battle since 1988, especially the efficiency of the measures to reduce pollution emissions and improve air quality since a clean air action plan was unveiled in 2013.
He said the implementation of the action plan has led to a more than 20 percent decrease in an array of pollution emissions, including SO2, nitrogen oxides, PM2.5, PM10 and VOC.
He also said since the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region jointly took preventive and controlling measures, all pollution emissions have been remarkably cut, with Beijing realizing the most steep pollution reductions.
Chen Tian, vice secretary general of the Beijing municipal government, gave a briefing on the policies and systems that have been established over the past approximately 20 years of tackling air pollution in the city.
He said Beijing has established a full set of management systems to ensure air quality, including a package of science- and technology-based plans, laws and policies such as the air quality monitoring evaluation procedures.
Liu Jian, chief scientist of the U.N. Environment Program, said the investment and efforts that the Chinese government has put in environmental protection and air pollution treatment has been widely appreciated, and Beijing's achievement, experience and lesson are worth summarizing, analyzing and sharing.
Helena Molin Valdes, head of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Secretariat at the UN Environment office, said she hoped Beijing's experience can be summarized and shared with big cities in developing countries, which would help promote global environmental governance.
This was the first time for the environmental forum to dedicate a seminar to a single city's case study. It aimed to share Beijing's experiences with other big cities in developing countries facing rapid urbanization and severe air pollution.