Shanghai will begin working with neighboring cities in the fight against pollution caused by ships across the Yangtze Delta Region from this year, Zhang Quan, director of the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau, said yesterday.
The governments of Shanghai and cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces will set up controlled areas and impose tough rules on emissions from vessels, Zhang told local legislators.
Shanghai set the goal of decreasing the density of PM2.5 particles — a major contributor to air pollution — in its development blueprint.
"It is not an easy goal to cut the density of PM2.5 particles to 42 micrograms per cubic meter by 2020," said Zhang. "And it is inadequate for Shanghai to fight alone."
Measures to tackle pollution include providing ships at local ports with power while they are berthed.
