The circular, jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, details major targets for improving the country’s ecological environment, with the total discharge of major pollutants continuously declining until 2025 and 2035.

By 2025, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the country’s GDP should be reduced by 18 % compared to the 2020-level. In cities at or above the prefectural level, the intensity of PM 2.5 is required to be decreased by 10 %, the proportion of days with good air quality ought to reach 87.5%, while the proportion of surface water with relatively good quality (at or above Grade III) should be above 85 % during the period.

By 2035, a green way of life and production should have been formed, carbon emissions are expected to stabilize and decline after reaching a peak, and the country’s ecological environment should see fundamental improvement.