Gloomy outlook for China pollution targets

The first six months of this year have seen a 6.17 percent rise in China’s nitrogen oxides released into the atmosphere than in the same period a year ago, challenging the realization of the pollutant reduction goal of 1.5 percent for 2011, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

Statistics shows discharge of chemical oxygen demand – a measure of water pollution – and sulfur dioxide decreased by 1.63 percent and 1.74 percent respectively compared with the same period last year, while ammonia nitrogen decreased 0.73 percent according to a report in the Global Times.

Ammonia nitrogen mainly comes from animal waste and garbage, while nitrogen oxides come from car emissions and thermal power plants. Both were newly added to the emission indexes list for the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15).

Zhao Zhangyuan, a professor with the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, said that he's not optimistic about the 1.5 percent target.

"We do not lack the technical means, but do need a better management of discharge reduction," he said.

Beijing stands out as the only city that saw a decrease in all the four major pollutant emissions.