China’s pollution to peak at earlier stage of growth

BEIJING - China might see its pollution levels peak at an earlier stage of economic growth than expected, a media report said Wednesday citing the first national pollution census.

“China has taken a different growth path from developed countries so it is very likely that our pollution peak will come earlier,” Zhang Lijun, vice-environmental minister, told a news conference in Beijing during the release of first national pollution census report Tuesday.

The peak could occur when the country’s per capita income reaches $3,000, China Daily reported on its website citing Zhang.

China’s per capita gross national income hit $2,770 in 2008, a report from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

Wang Yuqing, director of the national office for pollution census, said the country’s emissions of major air and water pollutants, sulphur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand (COD) - used to determine the amount of organic pollutants found in water - have already reached peak levels and started to come down, as a result of its stringent pollution reduction targets during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010).

The national pollution census, which mapped more than 5.9 million sources of industrial, residential and agricultural waste throughout the country, showed that China discharged about 209 billion tonnes of wastewater and 63.7 trillion cubic metre of waste gases in 2007.

Most of the industrial pollution come from a small number of industries and are mainly concentrated in economically affluent areas, Zhang said.

A database for the census has been established to cover environment-related information nationwide, which can provide a basis for administration and policymaking, he added.

The only difference between the census and previous environmental statistics comes from the amount of COD emissions, Zhang said.

While the NBS reported 13.8 million tonnes of COD emissions in 2007, the census showed that a total of 30.3 million tonnes of COD was discharged that year.

Zhang said the difference could be explained by the survey’s expanded scope, adding in agricultural sources of wastewater, which contributed about 13.2 million metric tonnes, as well as residential sewage.

This also showed agricultural pollution has a notable influence on the country’s water environment, which means the prevention and control of agricultural wastes must be strengthened, Zhang said.

Wang Yanliang, a senior official of the agriculture ministry, said livestock farming as well as excessive use of fertiliser and pesticides are the major contributors to agricultural pollution.

Greenpeace Campaign Director Sze Pang Cheung said the census has far-reaching implications for China’s efforts to curb emissions.

“The Chinese government should use the statistics as the benchmark to prioritise the country’s biggest pollution issues, review current measures and policies, and set up more stringent pollution control targets in the 12th Five-Year Plan,” he said.