(East-West Question) Liu Baoxian: Why has "Beijing Blue" become a new paradigm of environmental governance at home and abroad?
China News Agency, Beijing, March 9th: Why has "Beijing Blue" become a new paradigm for environmental governance at home and abroad?
——Interview with Liu Baoxian, Director of Beijing Ecological Environment Monitoring Center
China News Agency reporter Chen Hang Du Yan
At the Beijing Winter Olympics, the scene of Chinese and foreign athletes flying and flipping under the blue sky is impressive.
The blue sky has become the beautiful background color of Beijing, the only "Double Olympic City" in the world.
From being plagued by smog a few years ago, to now that the blue sky has become the new normal, Beijing has fought the tough battle of pollution prevention and control with the spirit of nailing the nails. The quality of the ecological environment has gradually improved, and the air quality has continued to improve significantly.
On February 7, 2022, at the Shougang Ski Jumping Platform in Beijing, China's Gu Ailing competes in the women's freestyle ski jumping competition at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Mao Jianjun
Liu Baoxian, director of the Beijing Eco-Environmental Monitoring Center, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "Dongxiwen", in-depth interpretation of how China's capital, as a megacity, has achieved the "Beijing Miracle" of air pollution control, how to create a new model for regional coordinated air pollution control, and how Provide experience for developing country cities.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Service reporter: When did Beijing start its large-scale air pollution control, and what achievements have been made in the current pollution control work?
Liu Baoxian:
Beijing opened the prelude to large-scale air pollution control in 1998.
Faced with the characteristics of complex pollution, from soot-based pollution control to comprehensive prevention and control of industry, motor vehicles, and dust, Beijing has implemented 16 stages of air pollution control measures, the five-year action plan for clean air, and the three-year action to defend the blue sky. Plans and the "one microgram" action, various measures "stubble" are promoted, and environmental benefits are gradually released.
In 2013, Beijing began to implement the national environmental quality standard "Ambient Air Quality Standard", and carried out monitoring of PM2.5 and ozone in ambient air.
After years of joint prevention, control and coordinated governance with Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding provinces and cities, the concentration of various pollutants in Beijing has dropped significantly.
In 2021, Beijing's air quality will fully meet the standard for the first time, the annual average concentration of PM2.5 will drop to 33 micrograms per cubic meter, and PM2.5 and ozone will simultaneously meet the standard for the first time.
Among them, the average annual concentration of PM2.5 decreased by 63.1% compared with 2013, with an average annual decrease of 7.9%, far exceeding the decline rate of cities in developed countries during the same period, and the speed of improvement has been widely praised by the international community.
Over the past two decades, Beijing's GDP, permanent population, motor vehicle ownership, and energy consumption have all increased significantly. Against this backdrop, Beijing's blue sky has gradually increased, and the background color of the blue sky has become more and more pure.
Taking 2021 as an example, the number of days with good air quality in Beijing will reach 288, which is equivalent to nearly 80% of the number of good days in the whole year, which is 112 more days than in 2013, or nearly 4 months more.
A few years ago, the public was keen to "blow up" the blue sky on social platforms. Now everyone is accustomed to the blue sky. It can be said that Beijing has handed over a dazzling report card of atmospheric governance.
On February 8, 2022, IOC President Bach came to Beijing Shougang Ski Jumping Platform to watch the women's freestyle ski jumping competition at the Winter Olympics.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Mao Jianjun
China News Service reporter: How does Beijing find the source of air pollution? By what means to control pollution?
Liu Baoxian:
A series of achievements in Beijing's air pollution control are largely due to technological innovation, which has achieved scientific and precise pollution control.
Beijing took the lead in establishing an urban air quality forecasting system in the country, providing technical support for the implementation of refined pollution control.
For example, when air pollution is imminent, Beijing can carry out pollution response in advance, realize peak reduction and speed reduction, and precise control.
At the same time, the forecasting system also provides a platform for the public to understand the air quality situation and assist the public to achieve green travel.
In December 2015, Beijing launched the red alert for heavy air pollution for the first time.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Tomita
Compared with air quality forecasting, PM2.5 source analysis is to tell you the quantitative relationship between the environment and pollution sources.
Since 2013, Beijing has carried out three rounds of PM2.5 source analysis to quantitatively analyze the composition of PM2.5 sources and the impact of regional transmission, so as to determine the main objects and priorities of air pollution control, and provide a basis for targeted haze control work. Important guidance, can better serve the medium and long-term precise pollution control.
Beijing has also built an integrated and intelligent grid-based monitoring system for air quality, which is like going to a hospital for a CT scan to achieve full coverage of particulate matter monitoring in all townships (streets), enabling clearer identification of pollution sources and helping air pollution. Governance.
With the adjustment and deepening of atmospheric environmental governance needs, Beijing will continue to play a leading role in science and technology in the future, and continue to use new technologies to improve governance.
China News Service: What are the main sources of air pollution in Beijing at present? What are the typical characteristics of mega cities?
Liu Baoxian:
Through three rounds of PM2.5 source analysis, we found that Beijing, as a super-large city, has various sources of air pollution and new changes are constantly emerging due to the influence of weather and topography.
Overall, the sources of air pollution in Beijing are divided into local sources and regional sources. At this stage, local emissions account for 60% of the main sources of PM2.5.
With the development of pollution control work, Beijing has basically solved the problem of coal-burning pollution, and gradually built a clean energy system based on electricity and natural gas, supplemented by geothermal energy and solar energy.
The absolute amount of various sources in local emissions achieves a "slimming".
At present, the local sources are mainly mobile sources, living sources, dust sources and industrial sources, and the sharing rates are 46%, 16%, 11% and 10% respectively.
Like the densely populated cities in the world, mobile sources are currently the largest source of PM2.5 in Beijing.
Beijing's "strict standards, promotion of elimination, and strong supervision", coupled with measures such as traffic control constraints and economic policy encouragement, have gradually formed a Beijing motor vehicle emission control system that integrates "vehicles, oil, and roads".
May 2020.
The largest centralized electric vehicle charging station in Beijing built by the State Grid Beijing Electric Power Company has been put into use in the Wukesong Sports Center, which can provide charging services for up to 1,300 vehicles per day.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Hou Yu
In 2021, Beijing's air quality will fully meet the standard for the first time, confirming the scientific and effective nature of Beijing's pollution control roads.
The United Nations Environment Programme released the evaluation report "Beijing Twenty Years of Air Pollution Control History and Prospects", which believes that Beijing has achieved remarkable results in improving the quality of the air environment. No other city or region in the world can achieve such a short period of time. To achieve such good results, there are many experiences and practices worthy of learning and reference.
China News Service reporter: From a global perspective, many metropolises have experienced air pollution. What lessons does the air pollution control history of these cities provide for Beijing?
Liu Baoxian:
Around the world, different cities have different characteristics of air pollution at different stages, which are mainly related to stage development and energy structure.
In 1943, the Los Angeles photochemical smog event occurred in the United States, and the source of pollution was relatively clear.
Due to the unique topography and meteorological conditions of Los Angeles, the hydrocarbons produced by the combustion of gasoline used by a large number of motor vehicles cause chemical reactions under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to form light blue smoke.
To this end, the local government restricts emissions from stationary (industrial) and mobile sources by requiring vehicles to install exhaust control devices and other measures, and ultimately promotes the enactment of the Clean Air Act to continuously control air pollution.
Los Angeles in April 2019.
Photo by China News Agency Lu Wei
In 1952, the London smog event in England was a typical case of soot-type air pollution.
At that time, London's energy structure was dominated by coal, and the exhaust gas emitted by a large number of factories and residents burning coal for heating was difficult to diffuse, and accumulated over the city, causing several days of foggy weather.
The incident forced the UK to introduce the Clean Air Act and supporting measures to adjust the coal-based energy structure and reduce smog emissions.
Beijing's air pollution control is more complex and arduous than many cities in developed countries in history. It has both the characteristics of coal pollution and motor vehicle pollution.
By learning from the pollution control experience of developed countries and based on the characteristics of local pollution, Beijing has achieved continuous improvement in air quality from soot-type pollution control to industrial, motor vehicle, dust and other comprehensive prevention and control. .
China News Service reporter: Beijing's air pollution control took 20 years to travel the distance that London took 30 years and Los Angeles to travel in 60 years. In your opinion, can economic and social development and environmental protection have both? What lessons can Beijing's road to pollution control offer to other cities around the world?
Liu Baoxian: A
good ecological environment is the most inclusive people's well-being.
I believe that everyone who works and lives in Beijing has personally experienced that the blue sky in Beijing has become more and more in recent years.
Ecological civilization is the historical trend of the development of human civilization, and the construction of ecological civilization is the fundamental plan related to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has comprehensively strengthened the construction of ecological civilization, and Beijing has formed a series of institutional systems. The innovative spirit of governance, the governance system of co-governance by all people and regional coordination, the number of days with heavy pollution in Beijing has decreased and the number of days with good quality has increased, which has contributed "Beijing experience" to global air pollution control, and created a cleaner air environment for the people.
Citizens exercise in Beihai Park in Beijing in May 2021.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng
In addition to "people's efforts", the weather conditions in Beijing have been relatively favorable in recent years, which can be described as "Heaven's help".
However, the total emission of pollutants in the Beijing area exceeds the total amount of the environment, and there are fluctuations in meteorological conditions. From the first time the air quality reaches the standard to the gradual realization of the stable standard, there are still long-term, arduous and complex, and it cannot be done in one fell swoop.
In the next stage, Beijing not only needs to persistently carry out emission reduction work, but also needs to coordinate regional governance, and work together with all sectors of society to stabilize the effectiveness of air pollution control and achieve the expected goals.
(over)
Interviewee Profile:
Liu Baoxian, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Beijing Ecological Environment Monitoring Center, is a senior engineer.
During the working period, he was responsible for and participated in the formulation of more than 20 national environmental monitoring standards, published more than 100 papers, and obtained more than 100 patents.
Won the first prize of the first Beijing Environmental Monitoring Professional and Technical Personnel Competition, the first prize of Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Progress Award, the second prize of Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Progress Award, the third prize of Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Progress Award, etc.; Worker", "Beijing Advanced Worker", "Capital Labor Medal", "Beijing Youth May Fourth Medal", "Beijing Outstanding Young Talent", "National Environmental Protection Professional Young Top-notch Talent", "National Environmental Monitoring 'Three Five' Talent" and other honors title.