Shanghai to invest $1.6 billion to tackle air pollution

Shanghai, China's most populated city, is to spend 10.3 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) on reducing air pollution in the city, according to local environmental protection authorities.

This is a 40 per cent increase on the amount spent over the last three years combined, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection said in a statement. The city will also adopt the new PM2.5 air quality standard in June, which is a welcomed introduction after recent pressure over the less accurate PM10 standards that are currently in place.

Beijing has also been in the news of late over escalating pollution risks in the area. Beijing and neighbouring cities of Hebei and Tianjin consume 353 million tonnes of coal each year, which puts the emphasis on collaborative efforts in China. Although environmental action has started to become part of routine policy in the major cities, neighbouring areas are often the most polluted and least controlled.

In Shanghai, local environmental protection authorities will help coal-fired power plants cut emissions and help coal-fired boilers find clean energy sources.

Posted by Claire Manning