• In 2021, fine particulate matter in Beijing fell on average below the threshold of 35 micrograms per cubic metre set by the Chinese government.
• The improvement was the result of efforts made by the local administration over the past decade, including in preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
• Further investment in renewable energy sources will be needed to meet the standards set by the World Health Organization.

There are now just a few days to go until the XXIV Winter Olympic Games, which will be held in Beijing, capital of China, from 4 to 20 February 2022, followed in March by the Paralympics. The hope is that, this time, athletes will be able to breathe cleaner air.

In 2021, pollution in the metropolis of over twenty million inhabitants did indeed fall: for the first time since measurements began, it managed to meet the standards set by the Chinese authorities. The annual average of PM2.5 – among the most dangerous fine particulate matter – stood at 33 micrograms per cubic metre, below the limit of 35 micrograms in force in the Asian nation.

Pollution in Beijing

It should be noted that the World Health Organization recommends a significantly lower value of 5 micrograms. This indicates that there is still a great deal of work to be done, but given that fine particulate matter has fallen by 13 per cent compared to the previous year, the direction appears to be the right one.

Even though pollution remains a serious health risk for citizens, "the improvements are real and are happening in the industrial belt surrounding Beijing, as in the rest of the country," Lauri Myllyvirta, analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, told the Reuters news agency.

The transition to clean energy

In 2021, Beijing residents were able to enjoy blue skies for nearly four months more than in 2013. Yu Jianhua, deputy head of the Environmental Protection Bureau, praised the efforts made by his city over the past decade, describing them as "unprecedented". This is borne out by the fact that, in 2016, fine particulate matter during the coldest months reached concentrations of 500 micrograms per cubic metre, due to heating systems powered by coal.

In recent years, the administrations of the capital and the surrounding Hebei province have committed to switching to less polluting energy sources and have planted a large number of trees throughout the region. They have adopted further measures to reduce pollution from the transport sector and required steelworks and other industries to adopt emissions control systems. These have been the first steps; to win the race, the pace must now be stepped up and progress must continue with resolve, with no more setbacks or second thoughts. Much like the athletes at the Olympics.