China's Environmental Measures Strengthening (Beijing, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia) - 2020s

China's Environmental Measures Strengthening (Beijing, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia) - 2020s

China's environmental measures in the 2020s continue and enhance the efforts of past decades. Environmental improvements are noticeable in major cities, and the transition to clean energy is rapidly underway on a nationwide scale. Below is a detailed description with place names, substances, numbers, and company names.

### Air Pollution Control
China's major cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, are making significant reductions in PM2.5, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the 2020s. In Beijing in particular, PM2.5 concentrations were reduced by about 40% between 2020 and 2023. This is largely due to the closure of old coal-fired power plants and the switch to natural gas, as well as the widespread use of electric vehicles. In addition, plans are underway to close about 20% of Hebei's coal-fired power plants by 2023.

Meanwhile, projects are underway in Tianjin and Chongqing to convert more than 50% of their electricity supply to clean energy. This is expected to reduce NOx emissions by an additional 20% by 2025. Electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are also becoming increasingly popular in these cities, with domestic EV manufacturers such as BYD and NIO leading the market as of 2023. China's EV market has grown to a size where about 5.4 million EVs will be sold in 2023, accounting for about 60% of the global total.

### Clean Energy Adoption
China's overall energy policy is also undergoing a major transformation. The government has set a goal of "Carbon Neutral 2060" and is stepping up efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In particular, a shift away from fossil fuels is underway, with coal use down approximately 5% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Chinese energy companies such as China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Sinopec are increasing their investment in clean energy technologies and promoting solar and wind power projects.

In the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, for example, plans are underway to increase wind and solar power generation capacity by 20% by 2025. More than 2,000 wind turbines have already been installed in the region, making it one of the largest wind power generation zones in the world. At the same time, solar power facilities are being installed in Gansu Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, bringing the nation's total renewable energy supply to about 30% of total power generation by 2022.

### Water Pollution Countermeasures
Environmental regulations are also being tightened to address the issue of water pollution. In the Yangtze River basin, regulations on industrial effluent have been tightened and water pollution caused by chemicals has been reduced by 10% as of 2022. In particular, newly installed wastewater treatment facilities at chemical plants in Chongqing and Wuhan are operating at high efficiency, significantly reducing emissions of hazardous chemicals. With the enactment of the Yangtze River Protection Law, illegal wastewater discharged by companies in the basin is being strictly enforced.

In addition, wastewater treatment facilities are being expanded in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province, and by 2023 the wastewater treatment rate will exceed 95%. In Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the major cities in this region, wastewater reuse systems have been introduced, and the recycling rate of industrial wastewater has reached over 30%.

### International Initiatives
In addition to domestic environmental measures, China is promoting the "Green Belt and Road" international initiative. Renewable energy infrastructure is being developed with Chinese technology and funding, including the Beni Suef solar power plant in Egypt and the Turkana wind power project in Kenya. This is expected to stabilize local energy supply and reduce CO2 emissions.

Cooperation with ASEAN countries is also progressing, especially in Vietnam and Indonesia, where Chinese companies are participating in hydropower and solar power generation projects. 2023 will see the start of operations of a large-scale solar power plant operated by the Power China Construction Group (POWERCHINA) in southern Vietnam, which is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 1 million tons annually. million tons of CO2 emissions reduction is expected.

### Future Challenges
On the other hand, there are still regions and industries that remain highly dependent on coal. In particular, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions remain high in Shanxi Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where coal mining is a pillar of the economy. Accelerating the transition to clean energy is a challenge for these regions, and the government plans to reduce SO2 emissions by an additional 15% by 2025.

In general, China's environmental measures in the 2020s have made significant gains at home and abroad, but the country still faces challenges in terms of differences in environmental impacts between regions and in moving away from its dependence on coal. The spread of renewable energy and international initiatives will be key in the future.