Experts divided on anti-pollution measures ahead of major summit

Beijing lights up for APEC on Nov. 2, 2014. (Photo: Chinanews)

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will be held in Beijing from November 5 to 11, with leaders from dozens of countries set to visit the city. To maintain the city's international image, the municipal government has been implementing the strongest measures since the 2008 Olympic Games to curb air pollution.

Air pollution is a serious issue in Beijing, with the city's air quality index showing that less than half of the days in 2013 had "moderate" or "good" levels of pollution, according to a research report released by Qianzhan Business Information Co.Ltd. Industry Research Center.

November in particular is one of the worst months for air pollution, when the city begins to burn coal to heat buildings in preparation for the long winter chill.

The Beijing Meteorological Bureau has forecast that the weather during the APEC summit will be mostly sunny.

Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli announced on October 24 that businesses and coal-consuming furnaces on the capital's black list of polluters will be required to suspend operations or reduce production to cut emissions during the APEC meeting. Designated construction sites within the city will also have to shut down temporarily.

Neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province will also have to do their part. Steel mills in Hebei will be asked to reduce or suspend production, and punishments will be handed out to violators.

Temporary effect

Dai Xingyi, a professor at the department of environmental science and engineering at Fudan University, Shanghai, told the Global Times that these measures will be effective at curbing pollution, since factories and coal-burning are the main sources of Beijing's air pollution.

"There are many heavy industries and coal-burning factories outside Beijing, which are critical to Beijing's air quality. Over 70 percent of energy in China comes from coal, so if the government can stop coal-burning factories from working or limit their working hours, the air quality can be greatly improved," he said.

Dai said that this can be proved by comparing the air quality indices between cities.

"If you check the Meteorological Bureau's air quality index, you can see the air between Langfang and Xingtai [two cities to the south of Beijing, in Hebei Province] is particularly polluted, while the air quality in other regions is fine. This is because these areas have too much heavy industry," he said.

But ordering businesses and factories to shut down temporarily or reduce production may lead to economic losses.

"A plan that requires businesses and coal factories to suspend operation, or reduce production will surely cause a certain amount of economic losses, but if the government does nothing, it will be hard to guarantee air quality levels during the APEC summit," Ma Jun, director of Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times.

He described the APEC summit as a "very important moment for Beijing," saying that the "implementation of these measures is unavoidable."