Retrospection and Perspective of Air Pollution Control In Shanghai
Jue Wang
Pollution Control Division, Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau
1. General Introduction of Municipality of Shanghai
Shanghai is an important economic and shipping center, a famous historic city, and from
1990s’, the implementation of social and economic plan made Shanghai significantly
changed, with the sustained rapid growth of the municipal economy, the doubly and
redoubly expanding of the urban area and the gradually increase of the urban polulation.
In the following 20 years, Shanghai will be constructed progressively into a modernized
international metropolis and one of the international economic, financial, trading and
shipping centers.
1.1 City Characteristics
1.1.1 Total area:
The Municipal of Shanghai, covering an area of 6340.5Km2, is located at the mid of
China’s coastal line and in front of the
Yangtse Delta, connected with Jiangsu and
Zhejiang Provinces.
1.1.2 Population:
According to the fifth population registration
in 2000, the total population in Shanghai is
16.4 million, including about 3.87 million
floating population.
1.1.3 Overall economic activity:
In 2001, GDP of the whole city was RMB
495.115 billion (US$60.2 billion). GDP per
capita was about US$ 4,000. The proportion
of different sector is: 1.8% of first industry,
48% of second industry and 50.2% of third industry.
1.2 Main Features of the Municipality
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1.2.1 Organizational structure of local government in environment management:
(1) The
municipal and district/county governments are responsible for the environmental
quality within their respective jurisdictions. Governments specify environmental
protection targets for the tenure and formulate implementation programs, on the basis of
their environmental protection plans.
(2) Municipal level--Shanghai Environment Protection Bureau (SEPB) conducts unified
supervision and management of city wide environmental protection.
(3) District/county level--D/C EPBs conduct unified supervision and management of
environmental protection within their respective jurisdiction and subject to the
operational leadership of SEPB
Municipal government
SEPB
District/County government
D/C EPB
1.2.2 Total investment of environmental protection:
The total investment of environmental protection in 2001 is RMB15.29 billion (US$1.86
billion), which is 3.09% of total GDP, including investment from different sectors in
infrastructure construction, regional rehabilitation, pollution elimination and capacity
building.
1.2.3 Air quality situation
The air pollution in Shanghai is mainly caused by coal-combustion and vehicle exhaust.
The main pollutant is inhalable particulate matter.
In 2001, the annual average concentration of PM10 in down town is 0.100mg/m3, and the
annual average concentrations of NOx and SO2 are 0.044 mg/m3 and 0.024 mg/m3.
The total volume of coal combustion is 44.68 million tons and the emission load of SO2,
coal-burning particulate, and industry dust from industry sources are 472.6 thousand tons,
135.2 thousand tons and 18.2 thousand tons. The total volume of vehicle in 2001 is 1208
thousand.
1.2.4 Existing legislations, regulation and standards
(1) Laws and regulation
State level
Local level

Environmental Protection Law


Air Pollution Prevention and Control
Law
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Procedure of Shanghai Municipal on
the Implementation of Air Pollution
Prevention and Control Law
(2) Standards
State level
Local level

National Ambient Air Quality Standard


Integrated Emission Standard of Air
Pollution

Odor Pollutants Emission Standard

Specific standards for some source
categories (boilers, cement mills,
industrial kilns & oven, incinerators,
vehicles)
Limitation of Sulphur Ratio in Fuel
2. Introduction of Air Pollution Control in Shanghai
2.1 Evolution of Main Issues and Air Quality:
2.1.1 Energy consumption and structure
In history, Shanghai has always been one of the biggest industry centers in China since
early 20th century. The major energy source for industry and other sector was coal. With
the economic development, the energy structure in Shanghai changed a lot. The primary
energy consumption of 2001 is: 64.5% of coal, 33.4% of oil, 0.70% of nature gas, 0.9%
of electricity from outside of Shanghai.
Primary Energy Consumption of 2001
Oil
33.40%
Gas
0.70%
Outside
Electricity
0.90%
other
0.50%
Coal
64.50%
2.1.2 Air quality and emission load of main pollutants
From 1960’s to 1990’s, the air pollution was caused by coal burning and the highest
concentration of SO2 and TSP reached 0.17 mg/m3 and 0.332 mg/m.
In the year of 1992-2001, economy has grown very fast with an average rate more than
10% per year, as well as the emission load of main pollutants have decreased. As a result
of economic development, energy restructure and more efforts in air pollution control, the
ambient air quality improved a lot.
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Emission of major pollutants of 1992-2001
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SO2
Coal-burnig Dust
Industry Dust
10,000 ton
50
40
30
20
10
0
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Compared with the peak value of last decade, in 2001, emission load of SO2 reduced
41,000 tons, emission load of coal-burning dust reduced 94,000 ton and industry dust
reduced 77,000 ton.
As a result, the concentration of SO2 in the ambient air reduced 53%, and TSP reduced
51%. In 2001, more than 80% days were reaching class II of API indices. But, the city is
facing the tendency of mixed pollution caused by both coal combustion and vehicle
exhaust, while NOx concentration in down town increased 10% in last 7 years.
Concentration of major pollutants of 1992-2001
0.35
SO2
0.3
NOx
TSP
mg/m3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2.2 Evolution of Pollution Control Strategies
2.2.1 1960s’ -1990s’
In middle of last century, the main measure of eliminating pollutants caused by coal
combustion was improving the combustion and dust-removing technology—focusing on
kiln and boiler renovation and reconstruction.
2.2.2 1990s’-now
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To solve the mixed pollution problems, a series of more integrated strategies have been
introduced and implemented:
(1) Adjusting general layout of the city
(2) Adjusting and optimizing industrial structure
(3) Regulating and optimizing energy structure (industrial, non-industrial and vehicle)
(4) Pollution control in industrial zones
(5) Vehicle exhaust control (non-leaded petrol and Euro-I standard)
2.3 Implementation Programs and Support System
2.3.1 Implementation programs
In order to implement the air pollution control strategies, SEPB has developed programs
and systems to eliminate the main pollutant in the whole city area since 1990s’.
(1) Standard meeting program
Emission sources covering more than 90% emission load must meet the national and
local emission standards.
(2) Clean energy program
Most of coal-burning boilers and kilns in down town were removed or replaced with
cleaner fuel. From 1995-2001, about more than 6000 boilers and kilns were retrofitted.
(3) Vehicle exhaust control program
120,000 using cars were asked to install exhaust control equipment and about 37,000
taxis were asked to install bi-fuel system (LPG and petrol). Leaded petrol has been
forbidden since 1997. New cars’ emission standard that is equal to Euro I has been
implemented since 1999.
(4) Top cap control program and permit system
Top cap policy has been introduced to control some major pollutants (SO2 and dust).
Owners and operators of major sources must apply emission permit for emitting major
pollutants, like SO2, and must cut the emission volume to meet the allowance.
2.3.2 Support systems
(1) Monitoring and inspection system
There are 42 monitoring stations of ambient air quality (including 21 automatic
monitoring stations) in the whole city, which locate in down town, suburb, and industrial
zones. The emission situations of 189 major sources are checked regularly through
compliance monitoring.
(2) Economic policies
By collecting pollution fee from enterprises whose emission exceed the emission
standards, municipal government sets up a compensation mechanism for pollution control
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projects, in order to encourage factories owners and operators installed pollution control
equipment and renovated their facilities.
(3) Information declaration and public involvement
SEPB declares daily ambient air quality to public, and publishes the annual
environmental bulletin. Complaining and solving mechanism is set up to settle the
arguments between the owners or operators of facilities and the neighborhood.
3. Perspective of air pollution control in Shanghai in 2003-2005
3.1 Objectives
(1) In 2005, zero increase of coal consumption along with the growth of energy
consumption
(2) In 2005, reduction of SO2 emission based on 2000 level by 20%
(3) In 2005, concentration of major pollutants will reach or close to WHO guidance
3.2 Main Focus
3.2.1 Improvement of legislation and standard system
(1) Technical-based emission standards for different industrial facilities
(2) Euro II standard for new vehicles in March, 2003
3.2.2 Study on Integrated strategies
(1) Major source/area source/mobile source
(2) Normal pollutants/toxic pollutants
(3) Local issues/regional issues
(4) Development of emission inventories
3.2.3 Enhancement of Implementing capacity
(1) Inspection and auditing
(2) Monitoring and assessment
3.2.4 Development of economic/marked-based policies
(1) Compensation for clean energy
(2) Exemption of emission discharge fee for vehicles meeting Euro-II standard
(3) Emission trade pilot project
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3.2.5 Improvement of communication and coordination
(1) Within governmental sectors
(2) Between all stakeholders
3.3 Main Measures for 2003-2005
3.3.1 Emission control program for point source
(1) Desulphurization projects in power plants
To meet the requirements of SO2 top cap control target and mitigating the regional acid
rain problem, desulphurization facilities for 2*300MW power units will be operated by
2005.
(2) Continuous emission monitoring (CEM) system for power plants and large boilers
will be installed in power plants in next 3 years.
(3) Clean fuel replacement for low point sources
About 400 Km2 none coal-burning area have been planed, where more than 1500
medium-and-small size boilers will be retrofitted with clean fuel by the end of 2005.
3.3.2 Emission control program for mobile source
(1) New emission standard for new vehicle
New emission standard that is equal to Euro II will be implemented in this March. The
implementation frame of stricter standards is also under consideration.
(2) Inspection and maintenance (I/M) system for using vehicle
In order to accelerate the phasing-out process of old vehicles with bad emission, SEPB
formulated I/M system framework for Shanghai, and the construction schedule is under
development. By 2005, I/M system will be implemented in the whole city.
4. Conclusion
Since Shanghai is a metropolis with large population and high intensive economic
activities, with the compressed development procedure in economy in last 20 years, the
environmental issues evolution has been compressed in a relative short period. We are
facing the air pollution issues caused by development, like emission from power plants,
industrial facilities and construction activities, as well as the old problems caused by poor
coal burning facilities, like black smoke in suburb area; the issues caused by
modernization, like Ozone and photochemical fog in down town, will emerged gradually.
We hope that we can work with other major cities through Kitakyushu Initiative Network
on these issues.
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In the past twenty years, Shanghai has realized sustained rapid development of both
society and economy, as well as the improvement of environmental protection. And in the
coming twenty years, this trend is to be extended and reinforced, which will bring
Shanghai citizens much more wealth and health. Fostering innovation, rewarding
excellence and learning from other cities, in order to reach the goal of ‘better life’, we
will try all our efforts. ‘Better city, better life’, is not only a slogan for 2010 EXPO, but
also a life that Shanghai promises to give her people.
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