Official: China faces challenge on cutting pollution emissions, ‘not optimistic’ about efforts

China ‘not optimistic’ on pollution emissions cuts

BEIJING — A key air pollutant has increased in China this year, highlighting the serious challenges faced by the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases as it tries to curb pollution, a senior Chinese official said Thursday.

Sulfur dioxide emissions rose by 1.2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2010, the first such increase since 2007, Zhang Lijun, vice minister for environmental protection, told a news conference.

“This sounded the alarm for our emissions reduction work and showed that the situation is not very optimistic,” he said.

Zhang attributed the sulfur dioxide rise to a rapid increase in the manufacture of energy-intensive industrial products — those made in coal-fired factories like cement, aluminum and steel — as China rebounds from the global downturn. Industrial output was up 19 percent in the first quarter over the same period last year as the country’s economy expanded.

Zhang also cited a decline in attention to pollution by local governments and companies and a drought in southwestern China.

“All of these have brought new pressures to our pollution reduction work,” he said.

Sulfur dioxide is one of the four key pollutants that China routinely measures, along with nitrogen dioxide, inhalable particles and chemical oxygen demand, a measure of water pollution.

China’s leaders are “keenly aware the environmental situation remains grave,” Zhang said, adding that key concerns include pollution of river water, coastal water and the rural environment, as well as acid rain.

Holding officials accountable for reducing pollution is key, Zhang said. Earlier this year, the ministry produced a list of worst violators, naming provinces, officials and companies that failed to reduce pollution.

Zhang said his ministry remains understaffed and underfunded, making it difficult to clean up pollution and enforce environmental rules.