Northeast China to Halt Cement Production to Cut Beijing Smog

China will halt cement production in three northeast provinces to reduce winter emissions, adding to the most stringent environmental policies the nation has adopted.

The world’s biggest energy consumer will suspend 103 cement production lines from today through March 31 in the Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the China Cement Association. The move will help cut smog in northeast China and in Beijing and Tianjin, according to the report.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said last month the country is making an unprecedented effort to clean up pollution amid record smog levels in cities. The government ordered factories in Beijing and surrounding areas to shut during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in early November, helping pull down a manufacturing gauge to an eight-month low.

Smog in Beijing jumped to hazardous levels after the APEC summit as factories resumed production. The Northern China region seeks to cut concentrations of some air pollutants by 25 percent in 2017 from 2012 levels, according to a government plan. This includes reducing coal, steel, cement and glass output, as well as curtailing car ownership growth.


Source from Bloomberg News