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The national environmental regulator has announced that the country will advance its efforts to reduce air pollution in northern China, especially the winter smog that was caused due to burning of coal. This will be China's mission for 2016. Amongst its efforts, Beijing says that it will also completely remove the use of coal in most rural areas by 2020. As much as "60 per cent of smog content is caused by coal burning in the starting phase of each smog", said Fang Li, an official with Beijing's Environmental Protection Bureau, as reported by Malaysian Digest

To begin with, the first thing the capital city of China plans to do is replace coal-fired heating stoves with the ones that can be fueled by gas or electricity in 400 villages this year. Once it has been implemented successfully, it will be taken to other areas such as Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan by 2017, revealed Guo Zihua, rural development official in China, reports Asia One News. Downtown districts of Xicheng and Dongcheng already removed coal burning last year, said the officials.

Many parts of Northern China, including the capital, experienced high smog alerts in November and December when the peak readings were beyond the safe levels. The major cause contributing to the air pollution has been burning coal for winter heating which has been listed as the primary cause, said Chen Jining, environmental protection minister said on Monday at the annual environmental protection meeting held in Beijing.

The severity of the hazardous smog in Northern China has been the reason why the government sprung into action to deal with the air pollution and reducing coal consumption for reducing the air quality, said Chen. He added that the ministry will do all it takes to protect the environment, as reported by Asia One News