Provincial-Level Gov'ts Vow Air Pollution Cuts by 2017

(Beijing) – The governments of all 31 mainland provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions signed a pledge with the Ministry of Environmental Protection on January 7 on the reduction air pollution by 2017.  

Ten provinces and municipalities in the Beijing-Hebei-Tianjin region, Chongqing and the Yangtze River and Pearl River deltas vowed reductions in PM2.5, which is fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause severe health problems.