Beijing has waged a decade-long battle against smog, while trying to balance the health and social benefits of clean air with delivering the economic growth that bolsters its mandate to govern.
China’s air quality is improving as industrial activity declines and its power and transportation sectors speed up decarbonisation efforts.
Concentrations of small airborne particulates fell 2.9% over the first half of 2024 from the same period the year before, the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said in a report. The air quality improvements were greatest in the southwest, where rebounding hydropower reduced the need to burn coal.
