China To Punish Officials Missing Air Pollution Targets

On Monday, a Chinese government official announced that local officials will have to face new punishments if they miss targets to reduce air pollution. This is the country’s latest sign to show that they are committed to improving its environmental condition.

Liu Bingjian, who is working at the environmental ministry of China, said:

After the terrifying air condition of China’s cities with the atmosphere covered with smog makes the headlines five years ago, the country set on a war to battle pollution, aiming to make air quality better and to tackle climate change.

Reuters reports that China has ambitious goals for this air pollution tackling plan. The Chinese government is planning to cut down the concentrations of harmful particulate matter that has a direct link with pollution in 338 cities.

However, in three months, in the northern area of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, there was a significant increase in the amount of the concentration that reached 73 micrograms for each cubic meter. This amount was more than double the allowed standard amount of 35 micrograms.

In some locations, representatives of the government are suspecting the ineffectiveness of local officials as new rules are still being ignored by polluters. Henan province, which is the worse cities in 2018’s last quarter, said that the rise was caused by “unfavorable weather conditions.”

Liu counteracted this by saying that it is not possible for the local authority to put the blame on weather conditions to dodge punishment.

Besides setting out punishment for local officials, the country is also planning on new standards for emission in the coal and steel industries.

Liu continued: