China’s Experience in Tackling Air Pollution: Key Lessons for India

Context:

• In the late 2000s, China faced severe air pollution levels comparable to India’s current crisis, with high PM2.5 concentrations causing major health and economic losses.

• Over the past decade, China achieved substantial improvements in air quality through strong political will, institutional accountability, and technological interventions.

• India’s ongoing struggle with air pollution has renewed focus on learning from China’s policy and governance model.

Key Highlights:

China’s Policy Response

• Air pollution became a national political priority in the late 2000s.

• The 11th Five-Year Plan (2006–10) integrated:

  • Environmental targets into economic planning

  • Mandatory investments in pollution-control technologies

• Introduction of a cadre evaluation system, linking:

  • Officials’ promotions to environmental performance

  • Accountability with measurable outcomes

Technology and Infrastructure Push

• Massive investment in:

  • Industrial pollution-control equipment

  • Closure of highly polluting industries

• Electric mobility promotion:

  • Shenzhen electrified 16,000+ buses by 2017, becoming the first city globally to do so

  • Shift reduced urban emissions as power generation was located away from cities

Detailed Insights:

• Drivers of China’s pollution crisis:

  • Rapid industrialisation post-1978

  • Heavy reliance on coal and manufacturing

• Determinants of success (2023 study):

  • Strong political commitment

  • Adequate financial resources

  • Robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms

• Why China’s model worked:

  • Top-down governance ensured uniform enforcement

  • Continuous action rather than reactive measures

• India’s current approach:

  • Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is:

    • Limited largely to the NCR

    • Reactive, triggered only after pollution breaches thresholds

• Structural challenges in India:

  • High household emissions from biomass burning

  • Unequal electricity access

  • Perception of environmental regulation as a constraint on growth

  • Overlapping jurisdictions across Centre, States, and local bodies dilute accountability

• Adaptable lessons for India:

  • Integrate air quality goals into official performance assessment

  • Shift from episodic responses to long-term planning

  • Scale up clean fuels, EVs, and public transport

  • Strengthen institutional coordination and enforcement

UPSC Relevance (GS-wise):

GS Paper 3 – Environment & Ecology

• Air pollution control strategies

• Comparative environmental governance

• Urban environmental challenges

GS Paper 2 – Governance

• Role of political will and accountability

• Centre–State coordination in environmental policy

• Institutional design and policy effectiveness

Prelims Focus

• PM2.5 and health impacts

• GRAP features

• Governance mechanisms for pollution control