Beijing says local governments can set winter output limits for Chinese industry’s war on smog
- Latest rules will minimise impact on production as economic growth slows, environment ministry says
- Low-emission companies will be exempted from restrictions this winter
Beijing will not set overall output restrictions on China’s heavy industry for the coming winter but will direct local governments to set limits based on manufacturers’ emissions, the environment ministry said on Friday.
China, in the sixth year of its “war on pollution”, has tried to stay focused on curbing smog but without unnecessarily penalising low-emission producers at a time of slowing economic growth.
“The purpose of this move is to minimise the impact on production at companies during the anti-pollution campaign but meanwhile continue to improve air quality,” environment ministry spokesman Liu Youbin said.
The ministry said it would issue guidance on anti-pollution measures for heavy industry based on production, technology, equipment and transport systems, and will rate manufacturers in three categories based on their emission levels.
The categories would have to comply with different levels of production curbs, Liu said.
Firms that met ultra-low emission levels as part of the anti-pollution campaign would be exempt from production restrictions this winter, he said.
China prepares for next round of nationwide inspections in ‘war on pollution’
Last year, China ditched its blanket winter output curb for heavy industry, allowing local authorities to adopt measures based on regional emission levels.
But most northern cities failed to meet winter smog targets in the six months through to the end of March, which added to fears that efforts to tackle smog had lost momentum.
Heavy industry includes steelmaking, coal-fired power plants, cement factories, coke plants, metal casting and chemical production.
