China will be strengthening its efforts to combat smog that has plagued the country's air quality in the newest three-year plan and now prepares to hunt down polluters nationwide.
The new targets for PM2.5 will be lower than the current five-year plan that ends in 2020 according to a statement by environment minister Li Ganjie at the sideline briefing of the annual Parliament on Saturday. Previously, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced that they were drawing up plans for stronger curbs on smog during the next three years to 2020 after the country was able to reach targets for December. However, Li did not detail the new goals so far as it is still being developed.
In 2017, the country was able to reduce PM2.5 concentrations by up to 15.8% and it was close to the 18% average target by 2020.
Since they were able to make huge strides in reducing smog, Li said "So we will set a lower target for the new three-year plan."
The Chinese government would also be launching a new nationwide inspection system this year that would give local authorities the power to regularly check polluting companies and factories. If the local authorities fail to do their part in assisting the campaign and enforce the regulations properly, the government will punish them accordingly. Li also said that last year, some of the regional governments issued blanket orders for companies to close down even if they managed to follow the emission guidelines. This strategy, Li said, would no longer be permitted.
The new statement of the environment minister comes after the announcement by the government this week that the 10-year MEP will be replaced with the Ministry of Ecological Environment, expanding its reach to include river, marine and soil pollution, as well as climate change.
Li said that the ministry would now assist in strengthening environmental protection in the country, which has been a hot topic in China. However, he did not specify how this will happen.
It is expected that the new ministry chief will be announced next week.
