Beijing meets national air quality standards for the first time

Beijing has met its national air quality standards for the first time, according to Beijing’s environmental protection bureau. 

The bureau credited the building of wind and solar farms, the planting of vast numbers of trees, and the switch to natural gas for heating in the winter. 

In September 2021, a United Nations Environment (UNEP) Programme report assessed progress in 194 countries and the European Union in tackling air pollution through legislation. 

The report found that there is no common legal framework for ambient air quality standards globally. 

Maria Socorro Manguiat, Senior Legal Officer with the United Nations Environment Programme said: ‘While several national air pollution standards remain below those outlined by WHO, UNEP welcomes actions taken by all countries not only to embed air quality standards in their laws and regulations but to effectively attain those standards.

‘Consistency with the WHO air quality guidelines should be the ultimate goal to mitigate the effects of air pollution which remains the world’s largest single environmental health risk.’

Patricia Kameri-Mbote, the lead environmental law and governance expert at UNEP added: ‘Air quality laws should follow a robust air quality governance system informed by science. In other words, they should set requirements for institutional responsibility, monitoring, accountability, planning and sanctions, as well as public participation and human rights.’