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Side event
By invitation only
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 have produced impressive results. In the five years from 2013 to 2017, fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) in Beijing fell by 35% and by 25% in surrounding regions. Air quality in the city continues to improve. This didn’t happen by accident. It was the result of an enormous investment of time, resources and political will.
A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau (BEE) tells the comprehensive story behind the figures and the important lessons learned along the way. There is still much work to do to solve Beijing’s air pollution issues and the report recommends further air quality actions that will benefit not just Beijing but the rest of China.
The lessons learned in the 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.
The report outlines:
Journalists are invited to attend the report launch and ask questions to the panel. The report will be formally launched by Dechen Tsering, UN Environment Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. The following topics will be presented by the panel:
The report will be made available in Chinese and English.