China: The government of Tianjin in northern China has said that it will not approve any new cement, steel or non-ferrous metals plants in a bid to fight pollution, according to state media. The statement follows a central government plan from 2013 to restrict new manufacturing in key industrial centres.
China has identified the region that includes Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin as one of the key targets of a programme to reduce the emissions of 'heavy' industries including cement, steel and thermal power, according to reports from Reuters. It has promised in policy documents released since 2012 to block the construction of new industrial plants in three major 'low-emission' regions, including Beijing-Hebei-Tianjin, the Yangtze river delta region centring on Shanghai and the Pearl river delta region in southern Guangdong Province. China's environment ministry has said that these regions are responsible for 40% of the country's total cement output despite covering just 8% of the country's total area.