Science–Policy Interplay: Improvement of Air Quality from 2008 to 2014 in Beijing and the Scientific Approach to Achieve APEC Blue

Abstract

he Beijing government has made great effort to solve the air pollution problem in recent years. In this paper, the major air pollution control measures and the air quality improvement from 2008 to 2014 in Beijing were represented. With the implementation of a series of unconventional and high?air pollutant reduction measures in Beijing and the surrounding area, good air quality during both the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2014 Asia?Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference was guaranteed. Notably, a new scientific approach was applied to formulate air pollution control policy during the APEC conference. In addition to the established measures, two periods of enhanced and targeted reduction measures were implemented according to the forecast in advance. Finally, suggestions for improving air quality in Beijing were offered on the basis of the monitoring results and analyses during the APEC conference.