FILE – Women wearing masks make their way amid the heavy haze in Beijing, Feb. 23, 2014.
March 05, 2015 6:30 AM
BEIJNG—China has pledged to get tough on polluters and tighten enforcement in a bid to help clean up its environment, an issue that is one of the Chinese public’s biggest concerns.
It also is aiming for zero growth in its consumption of coal, a key resource that helps fuel the world’s second largest economy.
China has seen massive economic growth over the past three decades, but that has come at a huge cost to its environment in the form of soil, water and air pollution. As its economy continues to slow and the government has targeted a rate of growth this year that is the country’s slowest in a quarter of a century, it is looking more toward quality growth.
Cleaning up the environment is a key part of that equation.
King coal
Last year, China declared war on air pollution and in his annual work report to China’s National People’s Congress Thursday, Premier Li Keqiang pledged to continue to do more.
“Environmental pollution is a blight on the people’s quality of life and a trouble that weighs heavy on their hearts,” Li said. “We must fight it with all our might.”
One of the key areas China needs to take that fight is its struggle to break its addiction to coal. The country is world’s biggest producer and consumer of coal, which is a main source of air pollution.
In his speech, Premier Li said China will fully implement an action plan to prevent and curb air pollution that includes measures such as upgrading emission controls at coal-burning power plants and striving for zero growth in the consumption of coal this year in key areas of the country.
A report on economic development was also released Thursday. In it, China’s National Development and Reform Commission also took aim at polluting fossil fuels.
The report said in areas affected by severe smog, the government would strictly control the number of energy-intensive industries. It also says that polices would be put in place to reduce coal use and that it would look to replace coal plants with alternative energy sources.
Last year was the first time this century that China saw its consumption of coal drop.
At the NPC meeting, Li also pledged to get tough on polluters.
“We must strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations; crack down on those guilty of creating illegal discharges and emissions and ensure they pay a heavy price for such offences,” he said.
