CRI听力:Beijing Long Way off PM 2.5 Target

A new environmental report has showed that the overall amount of pollutants discharged in Beijing last year decreased compared to 2013.

The annual report released by the city's environmental protection watchdog shows emissions of both sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide fell significantly.

Liu Xianzhu is from the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

"The emission reduction rates of the two pollutants fell over 11 percentage points from the targets last year, and the overall emission reduction rate of air pollutants was the highest in recent years."

Despite this, the average PM 2.5 density in the city stood at 85.9 micrograms per cubic meter, nearly 1.5 times more than the national standard.

These tiny particles are blamed for the most hazardous forms of smog seen in Beijing.

The capital frequently suffers from thick smog, cutting visibility and posing health hazards. Local government measures to try to limit the problem have included restricting traffic and halting industrial production.

The city is trying to reduce average PM 2.5 density by five percent this year.