China's anti-smog war hits the brakes
Source: economist.com
- China's intense war on air pollution has lost momentum after big early wins.
- PM2.5 levels - tiny pollution particles - dropped 40% nationwide from 2013 to 2023, but progress stalled in 2024.
- Weaker enforcement and economic pressures now risk backsliding on cleaner air gains.
China launched a massive campaign against air pollution in 2013, slashing dangerous fine-particle levels across cities and saving countless lives. Local officials drove the gains through strict factory shutdowns and coal curbs, but momentum has faded amid economic slowdowns and shifting priorities. The core finding is that without sustained national push, pollution could rebound, threatening public health in the world's most populous country. Readers should care because smog still kills millions