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Air Pollution
Air pollution continues to plague many of China's cities, bringing with it serious and costly health ailments. The government has responded with a variety of anti-smog measures, such as a ban on coal-toting trucks in highly polluting areas, restrictions on the number of cars that can be on roads and the shuttering of some factories not meeting environmental standards.
Caixin Weekly | Seeking Answers to the Issue of Excessive Punishments for Minor Offenses
China's draft Environmental Code has sparked debate over excessive minimum fines and proportionality, with over 11,000 public comments collected by June 13, 2024. Many grassroots enforcement officers argue penalties like 20,000–100,000 CNY minimum fines disproportionately burden small businesses, resulting in reduced enforcement and reluctance to penalize. While the draft Code revises some provisions, key concerns over high penalty thresholds and proportionality ("punishment fitting the offense") remain unresolved, prompting calls for adjustments before the planned 2026 approval.
In Depth: Tackling China’s Heavy-Handed Environmental Pollution Penalties
As Beijing drafts a sweeping environmental code, local enforcers and scholars push for top-level changes to address a system that often levies crippling penalties for minor mistakes
Weekend Long Read: Will China Fulfill Its Key Climate Pledge?
As progress has slowed sharply, China needs stronger targets to meet its Paris Agreement goals
Caixin Weekly | Air Quality Standards Revised Again
China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment began revising its ambient air quality standards in 2022, with progress in assessment, health impacts, and limit revisions. The 2012 air quality standard set an annual mean PM2.5 concentration limit of 35 micrograms/cubic meter, aligned with the WHO's first interim target. By 2024, China's national average PM2.5 concentration was 29.3 micrograms/cubic meter, with 252 out of 339 cities meeting the standard.
In Depth: Why China’s Air Quality Standards Are Due for an Update
China is planning to again strengthen its rules governing hazardous pollutants like PM 2.5 as the pace of improvements from its milestone 2012 reform has slowed
Revision Placed on the Agenda: Multiple Considerations Behind Stricter Air Quality Standards
China's air quality faced challenges in 2025, including dust storms and smog in February. The 2024 PM2.5 annual concentration decreased by 2.7%, meeting the 2025 target. China is revising its air quality standards, aiming for stricter PM2.5 limits to improve public health and environmental quality.
Weekend Long Read: Why China Should Get Tougher on Smog
Stricter air quality standards will enhance public health and drive energy transition efforts, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future
Energy Insider: China’s AI Boom Piles Pressure on Power Grid, Government Seeks to Bolster Green Electricity Demand
Sinopec announces shale oil breakthrough, Chinese e-bus makers face uncertainty
China Hits U.S. With Tariff Countermeasures
Also in today’s rundown: More carmakers roll out zero-interest financing, BYD rolls out cars with roof-mounted drones, FAW and Leapmotor to jointly develop new-energy vehicles
Caixin Weekly | Internal Combustion Engines See Periodic Stabilization, Zero-Emission Technologies Are the Future
Internal combustion engines remain crucial as many automakers, including emerging ones, focus on hybrid vehicles. By December 2024, top three new automakers prioritize range-extended hybrids. China's new energy vehicle sales are rising fast; however, hybrid vehicles grew 5.7 times more than pure electric ones in 2024. Predictions suggest hybrids will share prominence with electric vehicles by 2025. Global challenges persist for electric vehicles with slow market adaptation, high production costs, and infrastructure limitations, prompting a reevaluation of internal combustion engines' roles in Europe and the US.
Weekend Long Read: BYD Founder’s Pioneering Role in China’s EV Dominance
In a 2014 interview, Wang Chuanfu looked back on the automaker’s tumultuous journey and shared his predictions for the future of China’s car market
In Depth: Amid China’s EV Boom, Conventional Carmakers Cry Foul
Some manufacturers complain that state support for their electric rivals means they can’t compete on a level playing field
Commentary: Cross-Sector Partnerships Can Unlock Solutions to Global Problems Like Climate Change
To build a sustainable future, we need to reframe Asia’s challenges as opportunities and collaboratively build the platforms and mechanisms to seize them
Weekend Long Read: How to Stop Net Dumping in China’s Largest Fishing Ground
NGOs and fishers are seeking solutions to the problem, which harms marine life indiscriminately and hampers fishing operations
Commentary: China’s Plan to Cut Emissions at Coal Power Plants Could Actually Slow Its Green Transition
To phase out the fossil fuel, the country needs a carefully planned roadmap, rather than more investment in ‘clean coal’ and ‘low-carbon coal’
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