China experienced its highest annual emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) in 2007, nitrogen oxides (NO x) in 2012, and primary fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in 2006, at respectively 2.5, 4.6, and 1.5 times the corresponding values for 1990 in China (Fig. In 2017, China was responsible for 23.2% of global energy use and 27.6% of global CO 2 emissions.
China surpassed the United States in 2007 in terms of CO 2 emissions and in 2009 in terms of energy consumption, and has become the world’s largest energy-consuming and carbon-emitting country. This marvelous achievement in China’s economy was primarily fueled by fossil fuels-particularly coal, the main source for the emission of a variety of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO 2). The gross domestic product (GDP) of China expanded by a factor of 43 from 1990 to 2017, with an average annual growth rate of more than 10%. The past 30 years have witnessed dramatic economic growth in China. Fundamental improvement of air quality in China, as a key indicator for the success of ecological civilization construction, demands the deep de-carbonization of China’s energy system as well as more synergistic pathways to address air pollution and global climate change simultaneously. Increasing ozone (O 3) pollution further requires O 3 and PM 2.5 integrated control strategies with an emphasis on their complex photochemical interactions. Since 2013, control actions on multiple precursors and sectors have targeted the reduction of the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), marking a transition to an air-quality-oriented strategy. Emission control of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) resolved the deteriorating acid rain issue in China in 2007. We have analyzed the three-decade progress of air pollution controls in China, highlighting a strategic transformation from emission control toward air quality management. Decoupling economic growth and pollution has become the focus in developing ecological civilization in China.
China's past economic growth has substantially relied on fossil fuels, causing serious air pollution issues.