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China was once nicknamed as the “Kingdom of Bicycles” because of the widespread practice of cycling in this densely populated nation. There was a time when a bicycle was one of the “three rounds” every Chinese house desired, together with a wristwatch and a sewing machine.
However, the country has faced many challenges since it transitioned from bicycles to automobiles and other combustion engines. This shift led to complex problems for the environment, society, and economy. Beijing became known specifically for its poor air quality and a lot of haze.
The fast-growing population, along with high vehicle count and economic expansion, causes this much pressure on Beijing’s ecology.
Despite these obstacles, Beijing has improved its air quality significantly in recent years, serving as a model for other cities, particularly in South Asia, facing comparable problems.
As China emerged as the world’s largest automobile producer and consumer, it grappled with the detrimental impacts of increased oil consumption, but now China’s skies are clearer, and its air quality has drastically improved.
According to the World Economic Forum, the Chinese capital has cut fine particle pollution by 64% and sulphur dioxide by 89% since 2013-now other cities are following its lead.
According to a UN report, Beijing has implemented a “coal-to-gas” policy since 2005 and reduced coal combustion by nearly 11 million tonnes by 2017. High-efficiency terminal treatment facilities were continuously renovated, and ultralow emission standards were enforced during this period.
The prevention and control of vehicle pollution have long been critical tasks in Beijing’s air pollution control. Focusing on new vehicles, in-use vehicles, and fuel quality, Beijing has implemented a series of local emission standards and comprehensive control measures, as well as strengthened traffic management and economic incentives continuously.
Although the number of vehicles increased threefold in Beijing during the last two decades, the total pollutant emissions decreased remarkably.
