Revisiting UN Environment Program review of China’s strategy provides useful lessons for policymakers
Experts describe environmental concerns in technical terms – pollutants, their monitoring and punishment – while air pollution in cities is driven by urban form and transport infrastructure; Solutions depend on the stage of development.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had begun the process of taking a fresh look at an old problem by asking the government to list its reasons. For example, there is a report that the NGT has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to revise the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), which proposes a 20%-30% reduction in air pollution by 2024. But the NCAP has yet to make an impact with its ‘collaborative and participatory approach’, monitoring, targeting, emergency measures and even the role for international organizations.
Just a day earlier, on 2 December, the Supreme Court of India asked pertinent questions: Why are the results negligible on the ground, despite compliance reports, and what is the Air Quality Management Commission in the National Capital Region doing? In a hearing where the Court gave 24 hours to the Center and the Delhi government to suggest measures to control air pollution, the Solicitor General’s response was that the power structure of the Commission needs to be reworked, on which An angry court asked for ‘creativity’. The exchange raises fundamental questions about the commission’s role in what it should be doing – and not just what it has done – as it is not responding to the interdependent causes driven by complex urban problems. Urban change is a social process (people, services, lifestyle) rather than a physical problem (crowding, technology, regulation). Therefore, the focus of the Commission should be on how cities are organized, which requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders. The challenge is to move away from solutions that only require coordination between discrete administrative units, and take enforcement matters to the courts.
lessons from beijing
The United Nations Environment Program review of Beijing’s controls on air pollution provides useful lessons for policymakers. Both Beijing and Delhi have comparable population sizes. Delhi also shares, with Beijing and other cities, the three phases of tackling urban air pollution as a long-term task. It begins with end-of-pipe air pollution control, gradually moving to integrated measures targeting primary pollutants (SO2, NO2, PM10, and CO), with the government playing a key role. Later, secondary pollutants, or particulate matter that lead to smog, primarily PM2.5, become the main focus for control with regional coordination mechanisms. The similarity ends there.
The review by the United Nations points to a management system characterized by systematic planning, strong monitoring capability, local standards, specific enforcement mechanisms and public awareness.
First, the key result area is a new model of network operation and quality control to provide early warnings to effectively reduce pollution levels in adverse weather conditions. In case of anticipated heavy pollution, warnings are issued at least 24 hours in advance through the media, in addition to daily air quality reports and forecasts.
The technological system combines high-resolution satellite remote sensing and laser radar, an integrated network that provides greater analytical capability and quality with over 1,000 PM2.5 sensors across cities to accurately identify high-emission areas and periods. Combines ‘air-land’ data for surveillance. ,
Approach to Urbanization
Second, what really made a difference in Beijing was not just shutting down polluting units, restricting car ownership and travel, and improving fuel standards, but from an urbanization standpoint. ‘Smart cities’ such as New York, London and Beijing provide more space for public transport and reduce mixed land use spatial planning travel. Beijing and Delhi’s problems as transit hubs with no peak traffic require additional measures. Beijing’s 7th Ring Road is 1,000 kilometers long to decongest, and even before the buildings were built, the subway link was operational.
Beijing already has over 550 km of metro, which is one and a half times more than the Delhi Metro; 1,000 km metro rail is planned. The bus transport system has 30,000 low floor buses, which is eight times the number of Delhi Transport Corporation. In China, 72% of travel is covered by public transport, compared to 37% in Japan, 17% in Europe, and 10% in the US
vehicle policy
Third, when it comes to air pollution, particulate matter is the hardest to control, causing smog and serious health problems, and is mainly caused by vehicle emissions. Traffic has been recognized as a distinct and growing challenge. A systematic study on PM2.5 source segmentation in Beijing found that local emissions accounted for two-thirds of it, of which vehicle emissions were the main source of about half. Regional transport contributes to pollution on heavily polluted days. On-road diesel vehicles make up the largest share of mobile sources, and The policy focus gradually shifted from gasoline vehicle emissions to heavy-duty diesel vehicle emissions. The most important contribution was in the phased removal of old vehicles. Beijing plans to build 4.8 million charging points by 2022 to promote the use of electric vehicles. The number of vehicles registered in Delhi is almost twice that of Beijing, is growing at a faster pace and the source segmentation is still under debate.
Fourth, innovative implementation steps were established in Beijing. Local regulation aims to control both the concentration and the total emission amount to replace and upgrade industrial structure production processes and equipment. Economic incentives were tailored to the specific problem, with attractive levels of subsidies for high-polluting enterprises to discontinue their production and fees varying according to the concentration of waste gas emissions to those selected to remain in production. . Enforcement is coordinated at the municipal and state levels, with each level having different responsibilities and a mechanism for cooperation. Municipal environmental enforcement teams conduct specific inspections and hotspot grid supervision based on a detailed emissions inventory for each source, sending serious cases to the state level.
Finally, independent assessments review air quality management systems, quantitatively assess pollution reduction effects in selected areas, analyze new challenges, and make recommendations for further improving air quality and building public support. provide.
The problem in NCR is not a peculiar mix of administrative levels. It is their general approach to air pollution with cosmetic steps, unverified claims, statistical compliance and shifting responsibility that the mighty commission has failed to override with a joint plan to revise trends.
Mukul Sanwal is the policy advisor to the former head of the Pollution Control Division, Government of India and the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
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