February 18, 2026 12:19 am (IST)
Follow us:
Beijing to give up coal usage by 2020 to improve air quality
Beijing, Jan 13 (IBNS) China plans to end coal-usage in Beijing and its neighbouring areas by 2020 to reduce air pollution and improve air quality.
According to Beijing's Environmental Protection Bureau, reducing air pollution in northern China, especially winter smog from the burning of coal, is a mission for 2016.
Beijing will start replacing coal-fired heating stoves with those powered by electricity or gas in 400 villages in 2016. By 2017, the campaign will move to the districts of Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan, said Guo Zihua, a municipal rural development official.
Beijing's down-town districts of Dongcheng and Xicheng eliminated coal burning in 2015, officials said.
Beijing is part of one of China’s most heavily polluted regions. Its main sources of pollution are vehicles, coal-burning, industry and dust from construction sites.
Beijing and other places in northern China had to issue several smog alerts in November and December, when peak readings were abnormally higher than the national safety level.
In December, Beijing had to issue a red alert as the city of over 22 million people was enveloped by heavily polluted smog. Schools had to be closed and traffic restricted with the odd-even number plates system.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
What are surging glaciers? Scientists warn they are becoming more dangerous than ever
Sun, Feb 15 2026
Underwater apocalypse: Half of all coral reefs severely bleached during 2014–2017 heatwave
Wed, Feb 11 2026
India, Nigeria among worst hit as extreme heat set to affect billions by 2050: Oxford study
Tue, Jan 27 2026
Global water bankruptcy begins: Is the world running out of water faster than we think?
Wed, Jan 21 2026
Delhi suffocates under severe smog as cold wave tightens grip
Sun, Jan 18 2026