Breathe uneasy: Beijing’s first ever pollution ‘red alert’ comes into effect

Schools in Beijing are closed and outdoor construction halted as the Chinese capital’s first ever pollution “red alert” came into effect today. The alert, the highest possible warning level, was issued late Monday and will last until midday on Thursday. Limits have been placed on car use and some factories have been ordered to stop operations. A grey haze hung over the city of around 21.5 million people, with levels of PM2.5 - harmful microscopic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs - reaching 350 micrograms per cubic metre according to the US embassy, which issues independent readings. The World Health Organization’s recommended maximum exposure is 25.

Some parents still brought their children this morning, hoping that the teachers could at least mind them, but they had no choice but to leave them at home alone.

Li Jianguo, a primary school caretaker

The alert coincided with global climate change talks in Paris, where China is in the spotlight as the world’s biggest polluter. Most of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the burning of coal for electricity and heating, which is particularly problematic when demand peaks in winter, and is also the main cause of smog. It was the first time Beijing authorities declared a “red alert” since emergency air pollution plans were introduced two years ago, although levels were far from the city’s worst. Last week Beijing was enveloped in a toxic soup, cutting visibility severely and sending PM 2.5 levels as high as 634 micrograms per cubic metre.

However, this, the latest of a series of airpocalypses to hit Beijing, is also a firm reminder of just how much more needs to be done to ensure safe air for all.

Dong Liansai, climate and energy campaigner for environmental group Greenpeace

Beijing smog Asia-Pacific