Greenpeace Links Beijing’s Air Pollution Surge to Steel Factories -<br />Despite promises to cut steel overcapacity, China actually brought more steel production online last year, resulting in a surge in<br />air pollution in northern China, especially around Beijing, according to a report released this week by Greenpeace East Asia.<br />The report, released Monday, shows how powerful state-owned enterprises<br />and local officials have acted to keep steel companies operating out of economic self-interest despite a serious overcapacity problem in the industry.<br />The increase in steel production, which is powered by the burning of coal, also means<br />that levels of greenhouse gas emissions from that sector almost certainly grew last year, compared with 2015 levels.<br />The growth in operating capacity was more than twice the total steel making capacity of Britain, the report said.<br />Officials said that efforts last year to cut capacity had exceeded targets set for the year.<br />The report said 10 Chinese provinces increased their operating steel production capacity.<br />The steel industry is the second biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse<br />gas; the first is power generation, which also relies mostly on coal.
