Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Shanxi province has made significant strides in its initiative to protect blue skies, showcasing impressive achievements in improving air quality, with recent data highlighting the province's robust capabilities to combat air pollution.

The comprehensive air quality index, a crucial measure of overall air quality, has seen notable recovery, dropping to 3.57, a 29.6 percent decrease compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), positioning the province among the top in the nation for air quality improvement.

All six major air pollutants – PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 – across Shanxi's 11 cities have decreased substantially from the end of the previous five-year plan and are expected to meet the national secondary air quality standards for the first time by the end of this year.

Among these, SO2 levels have seen the most significant reduction, now averaging 9 micrograms per cubic meter. This improvement underscores the province's efforts to promote clean, efficient coal use and replace bulk coal with cleaner energy alternatives.

The number of heavily polluted days has decreased dramatically, with Shanxi’s 11 cities reducing the cumulative number of heavy pollution days from 89 at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan to just seven this year. Moderate or worse pollution days have also dropped by nearly 80 percent.

Shanxi continues to focus on key industries, areas, and periods to sustain air quality improvements through coordinated control of multiple pollutants and regional cooperation, aiming to ensure bluer skies, cleaner waters, and greener mountains.