Reference News Network, November 28 report: The Indian Express website published an article titled "China's 'Beijing Model' Offers a Reference for Addressing Delhi's Smog as All Parties Seek Solutions" on November 25. The translation is as follows:

A high-level meeting of the Prime Minister's Office pointed out that vehicle emissions are one of the reasons for the persistent smog problem in the capital region, and clearly instructed the states to accelerate the promotion of low-emission vehicles and strengthen law enforcement. In this context, China's pollution control action plan provides some practical references.

Beijing once faced severe pollution, but within a decade, it has become one of the cleanest capitals in Asia. The success of Beijing can provide lessons for other cities around the world. China's efforts to reduce air pollution are based on a strong policy framework, and also set a blueprint for promoting cooperation across sectors (including private and state-owned enterprises), providing a replicable path for other regions.

Over the past decade, although China's economy has grown rapidly, the air quality has improved significantly. This is supported by data: the number of heavily polluted days has dropped dramatically, and the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has also decreased significantly.

As early as a few months before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Beijing municipal government introduced a series of emergency measures to address air pollution. After that, Beijing gradually began to issue weekly air quality reports and implemented measures to track the sources of air pollution.

Importantly, even after the end of the Beijing Olympics, China continued to intensify these pollution control measures. In September 2013, Beijing issued a five-year Clean Air Action Plan, which acknowledged the serious situation of atmospheric pollution prevention and control — this was a crucial first step. This pollution control plan set specific goals, strict emission standards, and strong law enforcement requirements, with an initial focus on the transportation sector.

Beijing pioneered the promotion of electric vehicles, especially in public transportation, and other Chinese cities followed suit. In 2017, Shenzhen became the first city in the world to achieve full electrification of its 16,000 buses, and Shanghai and Hangzhou soon joined the ranks. Today, China has become a leader in electric transportation: more than 90% of the world's 800,000 electric buses are in China. At the same time, China is also one of the fastest-growing markets for electric and hybrid vehicles.

In the passenger car sector, the Beijing municipal government implemented a city-wide license plate lottery policy for all individuals purchasing new internal combustion engine vehicles. Consumers who purchase electric vehicles find it relatively easier to obtain license plates. This policy provides a clear incentive for the public to choose new energy vehicles. The relevant plan also requires the phasing out of old vehicles and increases the frequency of safety technology inspections for in-use vehicles. Meanwhile, the plan tightened emission standards for diesel vehicles.

Outside the transportation sector, China's pollution control plan also focuses on restricting the use of coal-fired boilers and promoting industrial structure adjustments through a clear system of incentives and penalties to reduce pollutant emissions. The plan also aims to prevent dust pollution by renovating the old urban ecosystems in Beijing and surrounding areas, while increasing green spaces within the city. Beijing's policy measures also include phasing out outdated production capacity, renovating coal-fired boilers, and replacing traditional heat sources with cleaner energy, especially in coal-fired power generation.

Li Ziqian, a senior analyst at the China and Asia team of the Economist Intelligence Unit, said that China's emission reduction policies cover a wide range. Li Ziqian said, "In the past decade, both Beijing and the whole country have made significant progress in reducing air pollution. The policies implemented during this period are comprehensive, covering major pollution sources in transportation, power generation, industry, and construction. In the transportation sector, departments have worked together to prioritize public transportation and promote the application of electric vehicles. Emission standards have also been gradually tightened."

Li Ziqian told the Indian Express in an interview earlier this year that China's reliance on coal in power generation and industrial production has decreased, and the use of renewable energy has increased. Many industries have raised their pollution prevention standards.

Qiu Chengcheng (translated), a China policy analyst at the Finnish Research Center for Energy and Clean Air, said that the "Pollution Prevention and Control Campaign" launched by China in 2013 has achieved tangible results.

Translation by Zhu Jie

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577636755747193407/

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