The 2023 report of the synergetic roadmap on carbon neutrality and clean air for China: Carbon reduction, pollution mitigation, greening, and growth

Jicheng Gong; Zhicong Yin; Yu Lei; Xi Lu; Qiang Zhang; Cilan Cai; Qimin Chai; Huopo Chen; Renjie Chen; Wenhui Chen; Jing Cheng; Xiyuan Chi; Hancheng Dai; Zhanfeng Dong; Guannan Geng; Jianlin Hu; Shan Hu; Cunrui Huang; Tiantian Li; Wei Li; Xiaomei Li; Yongsheng Lin; Jun Liu; Jinghui Ma; Yue Qin; Weiqi Tang; Dan Tong; Jiaxing Wang; Lijuan Wang; Qian Wang; Xuhui Wang; Xuying Wang; Libo Wu; Rui Wu; Qingyang Xiao; Yang Xie; Xiaolong Xu; Tao Xue; Haipeng Yu; Da Zhang; Li Zhang; Ning Zhang; Shaohui Zhang; Shaojun Zhang; Xian Zhang; Zengkai Zhang; Hongyan Zhao; Bo Zheng; Yixuan Zheng; Tong Zhu; Huijun Wang; Jinnan Wang; Kebin He

doi:10.1016/j.ese.2024.100517

The 2023 report of the synergetic roadmap on carbon neutrality and clean air for China: Carbon reduction, pollution mitigation, greening, and growth

Environ Sci Ecotechnol. 2024 Nov 27:23:100517. doi: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100517. eCollection 2025 Jan.

Authors

Jicheng Gong¹, Zhicong Yin², Yu Lei^{3

4}, Xi Lu^{5

6}, Qiang Zhang⁷, Cilan Cai⁷, Qimin Chai⁸, Huopo Chen⁹, Renjie Chen¹⁰, Wenhui Chen¹¹, Jing Cheng¹², Xiyuan Chi¹³, Hancheng Dai¹⁴, Zhanfeng Dong¹⁵, Guannan Geng⁵, Jianlin Hu¹⁶, Shan Hu¹⁷, Cunrui Huang¹⁸, Tiantian Li¹⁹, Wei Li⁷, Xiaomei Li⁸, Yongsheng Lin²⁰, Jun Liu²¹, Jinghui Ma²², Yue Qin¹, Weiqi Tang²³, Dan Tong⁷, Jiaxing Wang⁷, Lijuan Wang²⁴, Qian Wang²⁵, Xuhui Wang²⁶, Xuying Wang³, Libo Wu²⁷, Rui Wu²⁸, Qingyang Xiao⁷, Yang Xie²⁹, Xiaolong Xu¹⁷, Tao Xue³⁰, Haipeng Yu³¹, Da Zhang³², Li Zhang³³, Ning Zhang³⁴, Shaohui Zhang²⁹, Shaojun Zhang¹, Xian Zhang³⁵, Zengkai Zhang³⁶, Hongyan Zhao³⁷, Bo Zheng³⁸, Yixuan Zheng³⁹, Tong Zhu¹, Huijun Wang^{2

9}, Jinnan Wang^{3

4}, Kebin He^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Joint Laboratory for Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
² Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Climate and Environment Change (ILCEC)/Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters (CIC-FEMD), Nanjing University of Information Science &Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
³ Center of Air Quality Simulation and System Analysis, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing, 100041, China.
⁴ Center for Carbon Neutrality, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing, 100041, China.
⁵ State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
⁶ Institute for Carbon Neutrality, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
⁷ Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modelling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
⁸ National Center for Climate Change, Strategy and International Cooperation, Beijing, 100035, China.
⁹ Nansen-Zhu International Research Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China.
¹⁰ School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment of the Ministry of Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
¹¹ School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
¹² Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
¹³ National Meteorological Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, 100081, China.
¹⁴ College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
¹⁵ Institute of Eco-Environmental Management and Policy, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing, 100041, China.
¹⁶ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
¹⁷ China Association of Building Energy Efficiency, Beijing, 100029, China.
¹⁸ Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
¹⁹ China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China.
²⁰ Business School, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
²¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China.
²² Shanghai Typhoon Institute, Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai, 200030, China.
²³ Fudan Development Institute, Shanghai, 200433, China.
²⁴ Public Meteorological Service Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, 100081, China.
²⁵ Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200235, China.
²⁶ College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
²⁷ School of Economics, School of Data Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
²⁸ Transport Planning and Research Institute (TPRI) of the Ministry of Transport, Beijing, 100028, China.
²⁹ School of Economics and Management, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
³⁰ Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100080, China.
³¹ Key Laboratory of Land Surface Process and Climate Change in Cold and Arid Regions, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
³² Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
³³ Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
³⁴ Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
³⁵ The Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21 (ACCA21), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Beijing, 100038, China.
³⁶ State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
³⁷ Center for Atmospheric Environmental Studies, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
³⁸ Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
³⁹ State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Greenhouse Gases Co-control, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing, 100041, China.

Abstract

The response to climate change and air pollution control demonstrates strong synergy across scientific mechanisms, targets, strategies, and governance systems. This report, based on a monitoring indicator system for coordinated governance of air pollution and climate change, employs an interdisciplinary approach combining natural and social sciences. It establishes 20 indicators across five key areas: air pollution and climate change, governance systems and practices, structural transformation and technologies, atmospheric components and emission reduction pathways, and health impacts and co-benefits. This report tries to provide actionable insights into the interconnectedness of air pollution and climate governance. It highlights key policy gaps, presents updated indicators, and offers a refined monitoring framework to track progress toward China's dual goals of reducing emissions and improving air quality. Compared to previous editions, this year's report has updated four key indicators: meteorological impacts on air quality, climate change and its effects, governance policies, and low-carbon building energy systems. The aim is to further refine the monitoring framework, track progress, and establish a comprehensive theory for collaborative governance while identifying challenges and proposing solutions for China's pathway to carbon neutrality and clean air. The report comprises six chapters. The executive summary chapter is followed by analyzing air pollution and climate change interactions. Governance systems and practices are discussed in the third chapter, focusing on policy implementation and local experiences. The fourth chapter addresses structural transformations and emission reduction technologies, including energy and industrial shifts, transportation, low-carbon buildings, carbon capture and storage, and power systems. The fifth chapter outlines atmospheric component dynamics and emission pathways, presenting insights into emission drivers and future strategies. The sixth chapter assesses health impacts and the benefits of coordinated actions. Since 2019, China Clean Air Policy Partnership has produced annual reports on China's progress in climate and air pollution governance, receiving positive feedback. In 2023, the report was co-developed with Tsinghua University's Carbon Neutrality Research Institute, involving over 100 experts and multiple academic forums. The collaboration aims to continuously improve the indicator system and establish the report as a key resource supporting China's efforts in pollution reduction, carbon mitigation, greening, and sustainable growth.

Keywords: Carbon neutrality; Clean air; Synergetic roadmap.