N China to slash coal consumption for better air quality

China's top economic planning body said Wednesday that cities of Beijing and Tianjin as well as Hebei Province in north China must slash coal consumption to reduce air pollution.

Total coal consumption in 2017 will be reduced by 63 million tonnes from the level in 2012 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.

Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province will respectively see coal consumption reduced by 13 million tonnes, 10 million tonnes, and 40 million tonnes in 2017 from the 2012 level.

The reduction will involve elimination of outdated production capacity and use of cleaner energy such as hydro, nuclear, wind and solar.

Hebei Province cut coal consumption by 15 million tonnes in 2014, the first time that coal consumption in the province dropped year on year.

With coal being substituted by cleaner energy such as gas, key air pollution indicator PM2.5 dropped 4 percent last year in Beijing.

An air pollution guideline issued in 2014 aims to cut the share of coal in total energy consumption to below 65 percent by 2017.

Beijing sees first winter snow amid heavy smog

Beijing on Wednesday saw its first snow this winter while the city was enveloped by heavy smog.