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Project Overview

Major air quality protection events in Beijing

Regulations and Laws against air pollution

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Major Air Quality Protection events in China

In 1973, the first national environmental protection conference took place in Beijing and passed the “Several Regulations on Protecting and Improving Environment”.

On September 13^th 1979, the “Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China” was issued.

In September 1987, first “Air Pollution Control Act” was issued.

Money put on environmental protection increases from 2.5 billion in 1981 to 16 billion in 1991.

The China’s strictest environmental protection law, Revised Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (China’s EPL), will implement on January 1 2015.

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Regulations During Beijing Olympic

Raise the standard for vehicle emission from standard III to IV, will reduce at least 50% pollutant emitted.

Beijing government controlled vehicle pollution by promoting the scrapping of old vehicles, inspections for in-use vehicles, restricting urban vehicle pollution, clean fuel replacement on taxies and buses, tightening emission standards for new-vehicles.

The government set the new limitation for particulate matter concentration to 150 ug per cubic meter.

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Regulations During Beijing Olympic

SO2 annually concentration decreased from 120 μg/m3 to 36 μg/m3, NO2 annually concentration showed a decreasing trend while fluctuating up and down between 74 μg/m3 to 49 μg/m3, PM 10 annually concentration did not show a significantly decrease trend, but still fall to 122 μg/m3, CO annually concentration decreased from 3.3 μg/m3 to 1.4 μg/m3 from 1998 to 2008

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Regulations After Beijing Olympics

China is still a developing country without a fully developed legal system.

Although regulations set during Beijing Olympic period are still in action, the results were not satisfied.

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Now and In the Future

On January 1, 2015, China will formally begin implementing an updated Environmental Protection Law, this is the first time China’s fundamental environmental protection statute has been revised since 1989. It reflects how far China has come in its environmental awareness from 25 years ago.

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The revised law includes many important additions:

Heightened consequences for violating China’s environmental laws.

Expanding the scope of projects subjected to environmental impact assessment requirements.

Allowing non-governmental organizations to take legal action against polluters on behalf of the public interest.

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Environmental Governance Frame in Beijing

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Under China’s legal system, there are four laws relating to air pollution control:

Laws relating to air pollution control

The Environmental Protection Law
The air Pollution Prevention and Control Law
The Environmental Impact Assessment Law
Law on Promoting Clean Production

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Major Developments in China’s National Air Pollution Policies

Total Emission Control Program (TEC):
Reduces new increments of pollution discharge.
Accelerating the phase out of outdated production facilities.
Promoting denitrification equipment.
Provide comprehensive measures to control NOx from motor vehicles.
Revising the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law in the 12^th Five-Year Plan (FYP)
Enhancing environmental health supervision and management.

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There are three major standards listed in China’s EPL

Ambient Air Quality Standards: regulates the ambient standards set up the basis criteria for the management and evaluation of ambient air quality, related air pollution prevention and control planning.

Emission Standards: set up limitation for air pollutants emission in both particular type of pollution and pollutant specified in the Integrated Emission Standard of Air Pollutants.

Pollution Levies: impose charges as penalty on people or companies responsible for pollution sources.

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Summary

China has steadily strengthened its formal policies relating to air pollution during the first half of the 12^th Five-Year Plan period in a variety of ways. Many changes are related the process of developing the Plan and its sub-plans, and follow the 12^th Five-Year-Plan, which introduced the binding pollution reduction targets. Important new Five-Year Plans include a regional one with stronger targets for designated regions, some relating to energy conservation, Environmental health, law and policy construction, as well as the Blue Sky Science and Technology Project. China is on the track.

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Reference

Robert. L. Falk: China’s New Environmental Protection Law (2015)

Hogen Lovells: Clearing on China’s New Environmental Protection Law

Xinyan Lin and Mark Elder Major Development in China’s National Air Pollution Policies in the Early 12th Five- Year Plan, IGES Policy Report No. 2013-02.

Miaomiao Zhang, Six Provinces Cooperate Together to Protect the Air Quality in Beijing during Olympic, Xinhua Daily Telegraph, 2008.

Jie Han, Tianhong Zhen, China Now Has the Ability to Collect Environmental Tax, Xinhua Daily Telegraoh, 2008.

Hong Wang, Ling Su: Listen to the Voice of Beijing, Serve the Citizens of Beijing, People’s Daily, 2008

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