The challenge
Fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution in China's cities had reached levels that seriously harmed health and caused many early deaths.
The case
In 2013 China's State Council launched its Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan, described by researchers as the toughest-ever clean air policy in China, with targets to 2017. It tightened emission standards for power plants and heavy industry, upgraded industrial boilers, phased out outdated factories and promoted cleaner fuels for home heating and cooking. A team led by Qiang Zhang of Tsinghua University combined emission inventories, atmospheric modelling and health data to estimate the effects. National population-weighted average PM2.5 fell from 61.8 to 42.0 micrograms per cubic metre between 2013 and 2017, mostly because of cuts in human-made emissions rather than weather. The four main measures together reduced PM2.5-related excess deaths by an estimated 0.37 million in 2017.
Why it worked
Stricter standards for power plants and heavy industry, boiler upgrades, closing outdated factories and cleaner household fuels were the most effective measures, accounting for 92% of the deaths avoided.
Sources
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