Climate Politics
China’s Industrial Slowdown Is Helping Make It Easier to Breathe
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China’s air quality is improving as industrial activity declines and its power and transportation sectors speed up decarbonization efforts.
Concentrations of small airborne particulates fell 2.9% over the first half of 2024 from the same period the year before, the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said in a report. The air quality improvements were greatest in the southwest, where rebounding hydropower reduced the need to burn coal.