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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.
Beijing Prepares New Air Quality Action Plan as Pollution Reduction Plateaus
Authorities plan to expand carbon markets and tighten regulatory oversight on retired green-tech waste like electric vehicle batteries
CX Daily: China Banks Split as Margins Squeeze and Retail Risks Rise
‘Big Six’ state lenders outperformed smaller peers in 2025, as weak credit demand and intensifying competition continued to weigh on loan yields
In Depth: North China Chokes as Air Pollution Rebounds in Early 2026
Relaxed local enforcement, crop fires and small refineries threaten air quality progress as a new five-year plan begins
In Depth: China Enacts Historic Environmental Code to Police Green Development
The landmark legislative overhaul consolidates dozens of laws to balance economic growth with ecological preservation, though questions over corporate penalties and enforcement remain
CX Daily: China’s Sweeping Banking Law Rewrite Targets Hidden Risks
Draft amendment would extend regulatory power beyond lenders
China Tightens Air Quality Standards for First Time in 14 Years
New guidelines lower the tolerance for fine particulate matter, though a phased implementation offers industry a buffer until 2031
China Uses Satellites and AI to Ramp Up Pollution Crackdown
Regulators say detection rates rose despite a 40% drop in physical inspections in 2025, driven by remote sensing and big-data surveillance
China Moves to Tighten Air-Quality Standards as Beijing Reports Best-Ever Skies
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment plans a two-phase update to national standards, raising the bar for cities after years of steady improvement
China Broadens Environmental Tax to Target Major Air Pollutants
The top legislature has authorized the State Council to launch pilot programs to tax all VOCs, a key source of air pollution
In Depth: Dumping Case Shows How Chemical-Makers Shield Themselves From Liability
A civil suit in Zhejiang province highlights a common industry practice that allows producers to effectively pay others to dispose of hazardous materials on their behalf while sidestepping legal responsibility for paying their share of any clean-up bill
Xizang Officials Ousted Over Arc’teryx Fireworks Probe
Investigation finds ecological harm from mountain display; several Gyantse officials dismissed
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.
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