Beijing has issued its first ever “red alert” for air pollution. School’s have close. & half of the city vehicle’s, 

#Beijing  #China :   Schools have been urged to close and half of the city’s vehicles are to be kept off the roads as the dense smog is set to shroud parts of the Chinese capital until Thursday.

Authorities blame heavy coal-burning in factories and vehicle emissions
An online notice from the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau on Monday said it issued the alert to “protect public health and reduce levels of heavy air pollution”.

Authorities blame heavy coal-burning in factories and vehicle emissions for the increase in pollution.

China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, plans to upgrade coal power plants over the next five years to tackle the problem.

Beijing has been shrouded in smog since Friday, prompting the orange pollution alert

The second-highest alert led to the closure of highways, the suspension of construction and a warning to residents to stay indoors

Chinese authorities blamed ‘unfavourable’ weather conditions for the problems

Emissions in northern China soar over winter as urban heating systems are switched on and low wind speeds have meant that polluted air has not been dispersed

It is caused by an industrial base that relies on coal-burning technology

Ironically, the smog warning was issued as the UN climate conference began in Paris

On Monday, the air quality index in some parts of Beijing soared to 500, its highest possible level

That can cause breathing problems for the city’s 22.5 million residents, especially the vulnerable – the elderly, the very young and those suffering from breathing conditions such as asthma

Some 23 cities across an area the size of Spain are affected by the pollution

China has vowed to slash coal consumption but officials admit that the country is unlikely to meet state air quality standards until at least 2030

Reducing coal use and promoting cleaner forms of energy are set to play a crucial role in China’s pledges to bring its climate warming greenhouse gas emissions to a peak by around 2030 :Sky’s Katie Stallard reports from Beijing

Beijing has been shrouded in smog since Friday, prompting the orange pollution alert
It says its emissions will peak by around 2030 before starting to decline.

While emissions standards have been tightened and heavy investments made in solar, wind and other renewable energy, China still depends on coal for more than 60% of its power. Agencies