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China: 12th 5-year Plan for Environmental Protection

Pollution emission cut and whole environmental risk control system which incorporates chemical risk control are written into the Twelfth Five-year Plan for Environmental Protection (2011-2015)

In mid December of 2011 Chinese State Council, China’s Cabinet, published the Twelfth Five-year Plan for Environmental Protection (2011-2015), numbered as State Council Decree 2011-42. Pollution emission cut and whole environmental risk control system which incorporates chemical risk control have been formally written into the government agenda.

Composed in nine parts, this Plan set forth a basic principle of “accelerating the transformation of economic growth based on carrying capacities of resources and the environment” and put forward three core tasks in the following years of national environmental administration: to further emission reductions of major pollutants, to improve environmental quality and to prevent environmental risks. The twelfth five-year plan would contribute significantly to the coordinative development of environment, economy and society, according to people in charge of the China MEP.

The Twelfth Five-year Plan consists of nine parts as follows:

I the national environmental situation

II the guiding ideology, basic principle and main targets

III further emission reductions of major pollutants

IV solve most prominent environmental problems

V strengthen control of environmental risks in focused areas

VI optimize the system of environmental public services

VII implement 8 priority and other environmental protection projects

VIII improve supporting laws and legislation

IX enhance evaluation on the work of administrative levels

Main Targets of the Plan in future 4 years

The Plan proposes by 2015 China will have to reach seven goals in 1) major pollutants emission reduction, 2) environmental safety of urban and country drinking water sources, 3) effective control in pollution of heavy metals, POPs, hazardous chemicals and dangerous wastes, 4) improved urban environmental infrastructure operation, 5) reversal of ecological deterioration, 6) improved nuclear safety regulatory ability and 7) establishment of a wholesome environmental regulation institution.

Six environmental indicators in the Plan with 2 emission reduction indicators newly added

During the twelfth five-year period, China has adopted some new measures in promoting emission reduction. Specifically, China adds two new indicators: ammonia emissions and nitrogen oxides emissions. According to the Plan, China will speed up the elimination of backward production capacities in a group of industries like steel and iron, nonferrous metals, building materials, chemicals, electricity, coal, paper, printing and dyeing, tanning and etc. The national access threshold to industries of high energy consumption, high emissions or overcapacity will be further raised. In this context, new industrial projects approval will be connected with elimination of backward production capacities and a system of evaluating pollution intensity per unit of product has been explored from this year.

Main indicators of environmental protection during the 12th 5-year period

Order

Indicators

2010

2015

Increase rate (2010/2015)

1

Total emission of chemical oxygen demand (10000 tons)

2551.7

2347.6

-8%

2

Total ammonia emissions (10000 tons)

264.4

238

-10%

3

Total sulfur dioxide emissions (10000 tons)

2267.8

2086.4

-8%

4

Total nitrogen oxide emissions (10000 tons)

2273.6

2046.2

-10%

5

State-controlled sections of surface water, the proportion of poor Grade V (%)

17.7

<15

-2.7 percentage points

Proportion of state-controlled sections of seven major river systems above Class III (%)

55

>60

5 percentage points

6

Proportion of prefecture-level cities above Grade II air quality (%)

72

≥80

8 percentage points

Environmental risk prevention and control featured by chemical risk control

The Plan puts forth the notion of whole process environmental risk control, which includes the establishment of a risk source database and a risk assessment system of environment and health. In this aspect, the Plan calls to tighten up the environmental management of chemical substances, streamline the environmental management registration of hazardous chemicals and the new chemical substance notification system.

The Plan also proposes to draw up relevant elimination lists of toxic and hazardous chemicals. It suggests phasing out chemicals that are highly toxic, undegradable or of high environmental concerns, restricting the production and use of chemicals with high environmental risks and listing chemicals which should apply priority environmental management.

With regard to the chemical risk prevention and control, the plan will formulate more strict measures on environmental impact assessment of chemical parks. Construction of emergency response installations will be considered as necessary complement to the standardization of environmental protection facilities. The plan still lays particular emphasis on the management of proper disposal of hazardous chemicals (wastes) of high environmental concerns and polluted working sites.

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