January 2013

Heavy smog covers 17 provinces, mainly in North and Central China, for about 20 days. Seventy-four cities start to release daily PM2.5 readings after a new national ambient air quality standard is set.

February

The Beijing city government urges the public not to set off fireworks on heavily polluted days during Spring Festival. About 80 percent say they accept the advice in an online poll of more than 2,000 people by China Youth Daily.

March

Air pollution becomes a hot topic at the annual sessions of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top advisory body. Official documents show Beijing will be able to forecast smoggy weather two days in advance by 2015.

April

Six cities in Hebei province, which borders Beijing, feature in a list of China's top 10 most polluted cities.

May

Shanxi becomes the first province to promise that it will include regional PM2.5 levels in officials' performance evaluations.

June

China's theme for the 2013 World Environment Day is "Work together, as we share the same air". A report by the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences shows that the capital's air quality will not meet the national standard until 2030.

July

Research shows the average life expectancy in North China has been shortened by 5.5 years because of air pollution generated by coal consumption. China says it will invest 1.7 trillion yuan ($281 billion) before 2017 to tackle air pollution.

August

The Ministry of Environmental Protection punishes China's two major oil companies - China National Petroleum Corp and China Petroleum and Chemical Corp - for failing 2012 environmental tests. Approval for all new modification and expansion projects is delayed until after the 2013 evaluation.

September

The central government unveils the Airborne Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (2013-17), the toughest measure to date to tackle the worsening air pollution. It aims for a marked improvement over the next five years.

October

The National Health and Family Planning Commission says it will map out the health effects of smog in the next three to five years. Officials from six regions in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster sign an agreement to combat air pollution.

November

The China Meteorological Administration says early warnings for heavy pollution will cover all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities by 2015.

December

Liaoning province becomes the first to fine local governments for causing air pollution. Eight cities are fined 54.2 million yuan.

(China Daily 01/16/2014 page7)