The Governance of Fog and Haze in China
Embargo until
Date
2017
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
China has been struggling with fog and haze since 2013. Fog and haze, one of the forms of air pollution, can form out of natural reason, but in most cases, they are man-caused, by namely industrial coal emission, winter heating, and massive coal incineration. Fog and haze, however, have been not only an environmental issue but also a public concern that has drawn the attention of not only the public but also scholars and experts. Moreover, fog and haze have done tremendous harm to the health and even daily commuting of the general public. This memo has provided detailed information of China’s fog and haze and raised three suggestions in controlling fog and haze in China by improving the current “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution” First, all coal-burning boilers must be installed with desulfurization facilities. Penalties from 100,000 yuan to 50,000,000 yuan will be charged upon any rejection or deception in the implementation of such process. Second, central heating with power will be carried out, and households will be subsidized 0.3 yuan for each degree of electricity. Third, the latest version of “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Energy Tax” should be released, and a 10% energy tax will be imposed according to the energy price. The prevention and control of fog and haze must be dealt with from the source of the pollution—coal—which requires collaboration between governments, enterprises, and the public, who are all stakeholders in this process. The three suggestions will help reduce fog and haze at large.
Description
Keywords
Chinese haze, coal burning, governance