Will the stricter environmental air quality standards such as PM2.5 affect the economy? The Ministry of Environment responds.

Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment released the "Environmental Air Quality Standards", tightening the limits on concentrations of pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2. Currently, China is focusing on promoting high-quality economic development. In this context, will stricter standards have a negative impact on economic and social development and improve people's well-being? On December 26, the Director of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment Education and Communication Department and spokesperson Pei Xiaofei said that looking at the implementation process in recent years, the implementation of the standards not only significantly improved China's environmental air quality but also promoted economic and social development. Compared to 2015, China's average PM2.5 concentration decreased by 36%, and the number of days with heavy pollution decreased by 68%. At the same time, China's gross domestic product increased by 63%, and the number of cars increased by 111%, achieving a win-win situation of air quality improvement and economic and social development. He stated that in the long term, stricter standards will not only help further reduce PM2.5 concentrations, improve environmental air quality, and effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, bringing better benefits to public health, but also effectively drive the cultivation and development of new productive forces such as new energy vehicles. For traditional industries such as metallurgy, building materials, petrochemicals, and steel, it will also encourage them to adopt more advanced technologies and promote the green and low-carbon transformation of industrial, energy, and transportation structures, thereby promoting high-quality economic and social development.