China has seen continued improvement in its ecological and environmental quality this year, with major indicators showing notable progress, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said on Thursday.

Huang made the remarks at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office on advancing the Beautiful China initiative at the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

From January to July, the national average concentration of PM 2.5 particulate matter fell by 1.8 micrograms per cubic meter year-on-year, a decline of 6.2 percent, the minister said.

He said the proportion of days with fairly good air quality — defined as an air quality index below 100 on a 0-500 scale — also rose by 3.9 percentage points compared to the same period last year.

Water quality also improved, he continued, adding that the proportion of surface water with Grade I to III quality reached 86.5 percent during the period, up 2.4 percentage points year-on-year.

China has a five-tier surface water quality system, with Grade I being the highest. Water rated Grade III is suitable for the survival of most aquatic organisms.

Huang also highlighted progress in the country's carbon market. By the end of July, more than 930 million metric tons of carbon emission allowances had been traded on China's national carbon market, he said.

The market, he said, has helped promote low-cost carbon emission reduction in key industries while providing strong support for the country's green and low-carbon transition.

The country's national carbon trading program was launched in July 2021.