China Sets 2011 Pollution Control Goals

The Chinese government has set its 2011 target to reduce emissions of four major pollutants, cutting them by 1.5 percent year on year: Chemical Oxygen Demand, sulfur dioxide, ammonia nitrogen, and nitrogen oxide. Ammonia nitrogen and nitrogen oxide were just added to the country's major pollutants monitoring list in accordance with its environmental protection plan from 2011 to 2015.

According to Zhou Shengxian, minister of environmental protection, that while experiencing quick economic development the country is also facing increasing energy consumption and rising heavy metal, soil, dangerous waste and chemical pollution. China will impose higher pollutant emission standards for paper-making, textiles, leather and chemical plants and other heavy-polluting industries.

More effort will also be made to control emissions from motor vehicles, build sewage treatment plants at the county level and continue research on technology that will remove the sulfur, saltpeter, nitrogen and other polluting byproducts of industrial manufacturing.

In addition, the country will also issue more policies, such as providing financial support for processing pollutants and collecting emissions charges from motor vehicle owners on a trial basis.