中国环境保护经济蓬勃发展

Frequent smog has made face masks and air purifiers commonplace in many households here in China.

"We have air purifier at home because sometimes the air quality is too bad."

"We didn't have face masks at home in the past, but now we have a lot. It has become a habit to check whether I have a mask in my purse before I go out. "

Statistics show more than 200-thousand people bought face masks online in the first week in February alone.

2.8 billion yuan was spent on air purifiers in China last year.

At the same time, environmental protection has been inscribed as an important pillar in China's economic growth, with the authorities vowing to spend 5 trillion yuan on environmental protection in the period between 2011 and next year.

Beijing's municipal authorities have already thrown 8 billion yuan at the air quality problem since last year.

Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, Wu Xiaoqing, says not only government, but financial institutions, businesses and the broader society have to work together to help solve the problem.

"We have to transform the development mode of industries, improve the structure of energy consumption, rein in the rapidly increasing vehicle pollution, as well as strengthen city management. It is an enduring and hard process to root out air problems."

Yan Lufei is with a company that develops carbon emission management software.

He says more and more companies are now looking at transforming their business models, rather than just reducing emissions.

"The idea of carbon emissions reduction is highly accepted by enterprises now. They feel the pressure and the impetus from the government and market. They have to become low-carbon to avoid high risks, because their products should be in line with the public needs as well as the development of society."

Meanwhile, significant progress is said to be being made in finding the primary cause of China's choaking smog.

However, deputy director of the Department of Environmental Monitoring, Zhu Jianping, says it will take a long time to analyze the data.

"We have to choose appropriate stations to watch and monitor 6 regular indicators, but also other indicators that may have impact on the pollution, such as organic matter and black carbon. It is very complicated and it is a long process."

Among the 10 most heavily polluted cities, seven are in Hebei, the province which encircles Beijing.

Tianjin is also in the top 10.

Over 100-million people live in the region.

For CRI, this is Li Jing.