On March 21st, 2017, the kick off meeting for Shanxi Air Quality Management Project Phase III was held in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. The meeting was jointly organized by Clean Air Alliance of China (CAAC) and Shanxi Academy of Environmental Planning. Representatives from Air Pollution Control Leading Committee of Shanxi, 11 local cities’ Environmental Protection Bureaus, Energy Foundation, Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Air Pollution Control Department of Ministry of Environmental Protection, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, China Academy of Building Research and Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning participated the meeting. Moderated by Li Wenbin, Director of Air Pollution Control Department of Shanxi EPB, the meeting mainly discussed the methods and future plans for pollution control of disaggregated coal, so that to indicate the right direction for next step.
At the meeting, Director of Air Pollution Control Department of Shanxi EPB, Li Wenbin introduced current air quality status and main challenges for Shanxi in 2016 and early 2017. He pointed that air pollution in winter heating period was not only the main reason for the failure to achieve air quality objectives in 2016, but it would also bring great pressure and challenges to the accomplishment of air quality target in 2017. It requires more attention to solve the air pollution caused by winter heating.
Wang Feng, Vice director of Air Pollution Control Department of Ministry of Environmental Protection, illustrated the national policy for air pollution control of disaggregated coal. And he also pointed out the vital role of clean heating in the North China for better air quality.
Tonny Xie, Director of the Secretariat of the Clean Air Alliance of China, introduced London and Denmark’s experience in pollution control of disaggregated coal. He also explained the Alliance’s ongoing clean energy reconstruction project in the Jing-Jin-Ji region and shared some typical cases and related technologies for clean energy heating.
Luo Jinhong from Shanxi Academy of Environmental Planning, Lei Yu from Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Yang Qiang from China Academy of Building Research and Xue Zhigang from Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences shared their opinions and experience in clean energy heating covered policy, technology, status quo and effect, which greatly supported the related work of Shanxi local environmental protection departments.
During the meeting, the relevant leaders of the Alliance and Shanxi Academy of Environmental Planning also reported to project funders, Energy Foundation and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). They presented the achievements of the project over the past few years, including the air quality assessment report, electric vehicles replacing, straw management and other measures that have influenced and supported government policy making. And then they visited the implementation of the relevant measures in Taiyuan City.
At the end of the meeting, delegates from 11 local cities’ Environmental Protection Bureaus raised the problems they faced. The next step, the Municipal Air Quality Management Program will continue to work on these issues. Innovation Center for Clean-air Solution (Secretariat of the Clean Air Alliance of China) and the Shanxi Academy of Environmental Planning, as well as international experts supported by the Energy Foundation, will continue to provide Technical Support.
