Discover the Significant Progress in Environmental Protection: Key Advances for a Sustainable Future

China has made meaningful strides in environmental protection, even while working to recover economically. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment shared encouraging news about air quality improvements over the past year.

In 2024, the average level of PM2.5 particles in 339 major cities was 29.3 micrograms per cubic meter. This was a drop of 2.7 percent compared to the previous year. The level has stayed below the national standard of 35 mcg/cubic meter for five consecutive years.

In addition, 87.2 percent of days in the previous year had “fairly good” air quality, which is measured on a scale of 0 to 500. This marked an increase of 1.7 percentage points from 2023. The Ministry credits this success to various initiatives aimed at achieving cleaner air.

One significant change was about 2 million rural households in northern China moving away from coal for heating last year. Additionally, nearly 80 percent of the country’s crude steel production has been upgraded to significantly reduce emissions.

The quality of surface water also saw improvements. Last year, 90.4 percent of surface water was reported to be of fairly good quality, up by 1 percentage point from the previous year. This is the first time this figure topped 90 percent.

China categorizes its surface water quality into five tiers, with Grade I being the best. The ministry noted that urban areas have effectively eliminated black and foul-smelling water. In county seats, 80 percent of heavily polluted water bodies have been treated.

Looking ahead, the ministry aims to advance the “Beautiful China” initiative. By 2025, they plan to enhance policies that support an ecological civilization, which focuses on sustainable development that harmonizes human activity with nature.

There are also plans to boost technological innovation in environmental protection and strengthen the country’s environmental monitoring capabilities.