21
2018-02
On the 13th, China's Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, Zhai Qing, stated that China's total pollutant emissions currently exceed the country's environmental capacity. According to expert estimates, only by reducing emissions by an additional 30% to 50% beyond current levels could China see significant improvements in its environmental quality. Zhai Qing revealed this information at a State Council policy briefing held on the same day. He acknowledged that despite achieving reductions of just a few percentage points in total emissions since the start of the 11th Five-Year Plan, these modest gains have failed to drive comprehensive improvements in environmental quality. In addition to the sheer volume of pollutants being emitted, Zhai Qing also pointed out that the limited scope of the overall emission reduction targets is another key factor hindering progress in improving environmental conditions.
2018-02-21
