Beijing’s mayor shares experience to improve environmental quality

In discussions with Mayor Yin Yong, Minister Tran Duc Thang noted that Beijing has made remarkable progress on environmental issues over the past 20 years. "I have visited Beijing many times, and each time I return, I notice the difference," Minister Tran Duc Thang shared.

Currently, as Vietnam is revising its Law on Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment seeks to learn from Beijing’s experience in institutionalizing measures to improve environmental pollution in major cities.

With a strong determination to improve environmental and air quality, Minister Tran Duc Thang expressed his wish to hear Mayor Yin Yong’s insights on this issue.

Congratulating Minister Tran Duc Thang on his new position, the Beijing Mayor noted that the city’s environmental and ecological issues have always been of great concern to its residents.

“During periods of economic development, Beijing experienced declines in environmental and air quality, which seriously affected the lives of the people,” the capital’s leader shared.

3 vivid improvements

Emphasizing the priority given to environmental quality by both central and local leaders, Mayor Yin Yong said that in the past one to two years, Beijing has achieved remarkable improvements in air and environmental quality, reflected in three key aspects recognized by the public.

The first is a significant reduction in PM2.5. Specifically, in 2024, the PM2.5 level in Beijing was 30.5 µg/m³, a 66% decrease compared to 2023, and in the first ten months of 2025 it fell further to 26.5 µg/m³, the lowest in the city’s history. In 2024, there was only one day when air quality reached a heavily polluted level.

“In the past, people in Beijing often referred to ‘APEC blue skies’ to describe clear days, similar to the time of the APEC summit more than 10 years ago. Today, clear skies have become normal in our city,” Mayor Yin Yong said.

The second issue is water quality. In China, water is classified into six levels, and currently, level 5 water no longer exists in Beijing. The Miyun Reservoir, the city’s main freshwater source, has reached level 2. In addition, the city’s groundwater level has risen significantly: previously, wells had to be drilled 28 - 30 meters deep to access water, but now groundwater is found at just 11 meters, and rivers no longer run dry.

The third improvement lies on ecological quality. Beijing has tackled the problem of waste surrounding the city, which previously had no designated disposal or treatment sites. According to Mayor Yin Yong, after implementing multiple measures, the city’s daily waste treatment capacity now exceeds the volume of waste generated. Old landfill sites have been reopened and processed, creating additional land resources.

To combat desertification, Beijing has organized extensive afforestation projects, located only a few dozen kilometers from the desert belt. Over ten years, newly planted forests cover 1,600 km², or 10% of Beijing’s total area. The city’s green coverage rate now reaches 50%, earning it the title of “Forest city of the region,” even in the northern part of the country.

Mayor Yin added that Beijing now has 1,100 forest parks, earning the nickname “City of a thousand forest parks,” and over the past two years, the city has promoted a garden city model, creating attractive landscapes everywhere.

“Nearly all residents of Beijing can now reach a park, garden, or green infrastructure within at least 15 minutes,” Mayor Yin noted.

As a result, Beijing residents highly appreciate the city’s ecological and environmental governance, reflected in measurable improvements in air quality, water quality, waste management, and urban greening.

5 air quality management solutions

Sharing the experience of improving air quality, the Mayor of Beijing stated that the first measure is to reduce development so that it does not exceed the natural limits.

Specifically, certain industries that are not suitable for the capital are relocated to neighboring regions, such as Hebei. State-owned enterprises and public institutions are also moved to suburban areas just 3 kilometers away from Hebei. This relocation affects more than 10,000 government employees and a total of 100,000 people, as the Mayor of Beijing noted.

This reduction in development will be clearly reflected in the city’s latest urban planning.

The second measure is to enhance clean energy capacity. Specifically, this means completely phasing out coal and shifting to other energy sources like natural gas or, primarily, electricity.

Beijing still uses traditional gasoline for private cars, but these vehicles must meet Euro 6 emission standards to be allowed on the roads.

The third measure is regional integrated management, aiming to reduce pollution from neighboring cities, as air pollution can easily travel into Beijing.

The fourth measure is to identify and address pollution sources. According to specialized surveys, most pollution comes from motorbike emissions, so newer vehicles mainly use alternative fuels and electricity.

In addition, household emissions must also be controlled, and restaurants are required to install air and dust filtration systems before releasing emissions into the environment.

Moreover, the city government requires the construction of green factories and clean sites, using dust shields or large enclosures for indoor work.

The fifth measure is to strengthen monitoring and enforcement. This involves building a multi-platform monitoring system using satellites, sensors, and surprise inspections to ensure comprehensive air quality improvement.

“The moment environmental violations are detected, strict measures will be taken,” the Mayor emphasized.

Growth and pollution relation

Listening to Mayor Yin Yong’s insights, Minister Tran Duc Thang expressed his appreciation for the detailed and candid information, describing it as invaluable experience for the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

However, the Minister raised a question with Mayor Yin Yong regarding whether the environmental measures implemented had affected Beijing’s growth rate.

In response, Mayor Yin Yong explained that many Beijing residents had similar concerns. In reality, the city’s growth rate not only did not decline but actually increased.

According to Mayor Yin Yong, while Beijing’s growth rate had previously been comparable to that of other major cities, in the past three years it has consistently been 0.2% higher. He attributed this to the improvement in environmental quality, which has attracted industries well-suited to the capital.

For example, in recent years, Beijing has focused on education, science, and technology, drawing in talented professionals in these fields thanks to a cleaner environment, which is seen unlike before, when the city primarily attracted laborers.

“Although some large businesses that were no longer suitable had to relocate to other cities, slightly reducing the population, the quality of human capital improved, allowing for sustainable and stable development,” Mayor Yin Yong emphasized.

He also noted that the policy of Chinese leadership, specifically General Secretary Xi Jinping, emphasizes coordinated development with neighboring regions such as Hebei and Tianjin. Thus, industries relocating from Beijing align with the development of these two regions, allowing all three to grow together.

In light of this explanation, Minister Tran Duc Thang sincerely thanked Mayor Yin Yong for sharing such invaluable experience that Vietnam can learn from.

The Minister is confident that with the leadership, dedication, and understanding of the mayor, Beijing will continue to develop even more strongly in the future.