SHIJIAZHUANG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- North China's Hebei Province has set a target to reduce its major air pollutants by over 15 percent by 2020 compared with 2017 level.
Hebei, Beijing's neighbor and home to several of the country's top 10 polluted cities, plans to reduce the average concentration of PM2.5 to 55 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020, the provincial government said Tuesday.
PM2.5, airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, pose a significant risk to health.
The province will continue to cut coal consumption by using more clean energy. Coal consumption in 2020 will be 10 percent less than in 2015, the government said.
The province plans to cut the annual production capacity of steel, coal and cement by 40 million tonnes, 30 million tonnes and 5 million tonnes, respectively, from 2018 to 2020.
It also plans to improve pollutant treatment facilities at highly-polluting steel and coking industries, and relocate some steel mills from urban areas.
Meanwhile, it will increase rail freight to reduce pollution from heavy-duty trucks.
The regions around Beijing are home to major steel makers, coal mines, aluminum producers and chemical plants. They are at the forefront of the country's fight against air pollution.
