A Review of 20 Years’ of Air Pollution Control in Beijing

In 1998 Beijing began an intensified air pollution control program, and over the last 20 years the city has implemented a series of measures including energy infrastructure optimization, coal-fired pollution control, and vehicle emission controls.These efforts succesfully reduced air pollution. In the five years from 2013 to 2017, fine particulate pollution (PM_2.5) in Beijing fell by 35% and by 25% in surrounding regions. 

This report outlines how Beijing’s air quality management programme has evolved over the past quarter century and makes recommendations for near, medium, and long-term steps that Beijing can take to maintain its momentum toward clean air.

The lessons in this report could also help many cities suffering air pollution and Beijing hopes for wider cooperation among cities and regions towards the common global goal of a pollution-free planet.