Sulfur dioxide emissions in China amounted to 21.18 million metric tons in 2012, a fall of 4.52 percent from the previous year, while nitrogen oxide emissions totaled 23.38 million tons, a decline of 2.77 percent, according to a report released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection this month.

In September, the State Council approved the Plan on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution in Key Regions (2011-15). The plan, which covers 117 cities in 19 provinces, implemented targets to reduce the annual mean concentration of PM10 and sulfur dioxide by 10 percent each, nitrogen dioxide by 7 percent and PM2.5 by 5 percent.

To support the renovation of coal-fired boilers in 15 cities, the central government provided 1.09 billion yuan ($178 million) in subsidies in 2012. The air quality in those cities has improved significantly since the project was launched, according to the report.

Meanwhile, in February 2012 the Ministry of Environmental Protection released revised standards for ambient air quality. The latest standards added several new items, including an annual mean concentration limit and a 24-hour average concentration limit for PM2.5.

In all, 496 national air monitoring sites in 74 cities have released real-time data about six basic pollutants, including PM2.5, ozone and sulfur dioxide, since Jan 1.

(China Daily USA 06/13/2013 page7)