Second, temporary but effective, emission reduction measures adopted for the APEC conference could definitely be applied from time to time. But the authorities have to realize that for permanent blue skies the measures have to be extended over a long period of time after identifying the sources of pollution.

In other words, reducing emissions and air pollution in the region as a whole is key to ensuring blue skies over Beijing. Therefore, the idea should be to make the tested short-term methods the daily routine to reduce pollution.

It is important that all parties concerned implement the pollution control policies with dedication and sincerity. If properly implemented, plans such as the Airborne Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (2013-17) announced in September last year and the climate pact China and the United States reached at the APEC conference will certainly help China to reduce air (and other) pollution.

Therefore, reducing coal consumption in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and ensuring that the country’s carbon emissions peak by 2030 should get priority in China’s medium- and long-term plan to curb air pollution. This may be a key step in the battle to ensure that APEC blue is a permanent feature not only in Beijing but also the entire country.

The author is a Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner.