China issues circular on prevention, control of pollution

The circular, jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, details major targets for improving the country's ecological environment, with the total discharge of major pollutants continuously declining for 2025 and 2035, Xinhua news agency reported.

By 2025, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the country's GDP will be reduced by 18 per cent from the level in 2020, according to the circular.

In cities at or above the prefectural level, the intensity of PM 2.5 will be decreased by 10 per cent, the proportion of days with good air quality will reach 87.5 per cent, while the proportion of surface water with relatively good quality (at or above Grade III) should be above 85 per cent during the period.

By 2035, a green way of life and production will have been formed, carbon emissions will stabilise and decline after reaching a peak, and the country's ecological environment will see fundamental improvement, said the circular.