Children plays on the ice on Jan 17, 2016. This year kicked off to a good start, with the first day seeing big blue skies. (Xinhua/Wang Chen)
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau has released the top environmental key phrases for 2015 in cooperation with several environmental protection organizations. The first three phrases are: "harshest environmental law," "red alert" and "Beijing blue."
No. 1. Harshest environmental law
The revised Environmental Protection Law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. The law applies harsher punishments to environmental wrongdoings, including daily fines, detention, shut downs and limited production, so that the cost outweighs any economic benefits of pollution. The new law has been called the harshest environmental law since it is the most severe environmental law China has ever had.
No. 2. Red alert
Beijing authorities issued two red alerts for air pollution during December 2015. During a red alert, kindergartens as well as primary and high schools are advised to suspend classes, outdoor operation of construction sites is banned, and some industrial plants are required to limit or stop production. Car use is also limited, as cars are only allowed on the roads on alternating days depending on the numbers of their license plates. Together, these measures reduced the PM 2.5 concentration by up to 30 percent.
No. 3. Beijing blue
Beijing enjoyed 186 blue-sky days, or 51 percent, during 2015. Additionally, the number of days with good air amounted to two weeks longer than in 2014. PM 2.5 concentrations decreased by 10 percent since 2013. Especially in the first ten months of last year, PM 2.5 concentration decreased to 69.7 cumulative micrograms/cubic meter, down 21.8 percent.
The other key terms are:
No. 4. Reduction in coal use
No. 5. Beijing's fifth stage of emissions standards for diesel vehicles
No. 6. Environmental transparency
No. 7. Coordinated and joint efforts (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei provinces have cooperated closely in the anti-pollution campaign)
No. 8. Global benchmark
No. 9. Strict control of VOC
No. 10 Public participation
