In a recent interview, Gu Jinlong, the Deputy Director of the Xi’an Ecological Environment Bureau, shared insights on the city’s proactive measures to combat air pollution. He highlighted that, “In recent years, our city has placed significant emphasis on air pollution control, launching a comprehensive five-year action plan that has already demonstrated tangible improvements in air quality.”
To enhance the effectiveness of its response to severe pollution episodes, Xi’an has revised its emergency response plan for heavy pollution days, initially introduced in 2020. The newly updated plan, titled the “Xi’an Emergency Response Plan for Heavy Pollution Weather (2024 Revision),” applies to the entire administrative region of Xi’an. It features tailored responses based on the specific pollutants involved during predicted heavy pollution events.
The plan sets ambitious targets for reducing the number of heavy pollution days in Xi’an, aiming for no more than five days by 2025 and four days by 2027. One significant adjustment in the revised plan is the modification of the air quality index (AQI) warning system. The previous dual indicators of AQI and PM2.5 concentration have been streamlined to focus exclusively on AQI, with warning levels categorized as yellow, orange, and red.
Moreover, the emergency plan has made critical changes in public life, removing mandates for vehicle license plate restrictions and school closures during heavy pollution periods. This is intended to ensure that urban operations and residents’ daily lives remain unaffected during emergency responses.
In the industrial sector, the revised plan emphasizes the importance of enhancing corporate environmental performance. Companies achieving higher performance levels will not be subjected to additional emission reduction measures.
For road transport, the updated plan introduces new control measures for non-road mobile machinery. During yellow alert periods, the use of non-road machinery with emissions standards of National II and below will be halted, with exceptions for clean energy, emergency response, and agricultural equipment. The restrictions become more stringent during orange alerts, stopping the use of all National III and below non-road machinery, and during red alerts, a complete cessation of all fuel and gas-powered non-road machinery is encouraged. Additional pollution reduction measures include banning open burning of straw, leaves, and waste, alongside enhanced monitoring in key pollution hotspots.
These updates reflect Xi’an’s commitment to improving air quality while balancing the needs of its residents and industries, ensuring a healthier environment for all.
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