According to a recent report, PM2.5 dust and ozone are the two leading causes of over 1.1 million Chinese deaths and about 20 million tons of farm injuries each year.
Each year, the Chinese economy damages $ 38 billion due to air pollution, the South China Morning Post cited the latest report from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The researchers make this finding based on the amount of money the Chinese government pays to overcome the consequences of air pollution on people's health and on agricultural production.
"This figure is quite large, accounting for 0.7% of national GDP," said Associate Professor Steve Yim Hung-lam of CUHK. The research team led by Yim analyzes data from industries such as agriculture, commerce, energy, transportation and so on.
The report is published in the context of Beijing's strengthening of air pollution control. Under the "green sky" plan, China aims to reduce its nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions by 15% in the atmosphere by 2020.
Two pollutants, PM2.5 and ozone, have caused more than 1.1 million Chinese deaths and around 20 million tons of agricultural products are damaged each year, according to the study.
According to Yim, the figures show that the government should optimize emissions reduction policies to deal with the consequences of air pollution at the same time.
"We want to emphasize the importance of ensuring that pollution-reduction policies are mutually beneficial," said Yim. He says policymakers need to look at the issue in a comprehensive way.
"We should not only care about health, air quality or agricultural production, we need to look at all aspects and choose the best solution to solve many problems at the same time. "said Yim.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says 9 out of 10 people in the world breathe polluted air. This situation deprives the lives of more than 6.1 million people each year, of whom more than 1.7 million are children under five.
The average amount of PM2.5 in China's cities is 48 micrograms per cubic meter, more than double the average in other cities around the world. This compound is very dangerous to human health because it can enter the lungs and circulatory system. One cubic meter of air containing more than 10 micrograms PM2.5 is said to be substandard.
Each year, the Chinese economy damages $ 38 billion due to air pollution, the South China Morning Post cited the latest report from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The researchers make this finding based on the amount of money the Chinese government pays to overcome the consequences of air pollution on people's health and on agricultural production.
"This figure is quite large, accounting for 0.7% of national GDP," said Associate Professor Steve Yim Hung-lam of CUHK. The research team led by Yim analyzes data from industries such as agriculture, commerce, energy, transportation and so on.
The report is published in the context of Beijing's strengthening of air pollution control. Under the "green sky" plan, China aims to reduce its nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions by 15% in the atmosphere by 2020.
Two pollutants, PM2.5 and ozone, have caused more than 1.1 million Chinese deaths and around 20 million tons of agricultural products are damaged each year, according to the study.
According to Yim, the figures show that the government should optimize emissions reduction policies to deal with the consequences of air pollution at the same time.
"We want to emphasize the importance of ensuring that pollution-reduction policies are mutually beneficial," said Yim. He says policymakers need to look at the issue in a comprehensive way.
"We should not only care about health, air quality or agricultural production, we need to look at all aspects and choose the best solution to solve many problems at the same time. "said Yim.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says 9 out of 10 people in the world breathe polluted air. This situation deprives the lives of more than 6.1 million people each year, of whom more than 1.7 million are children under five.
The average amount of PM2.5 in China's cities is 48 micrograms per cubic meter, more than double the average in other cities around the world. This compound is very dangerous to human health because it can enter the lungs and circulatory system. One cubic meter of air containing more than 10 micrograms PM2.5 is said to be substandard.