Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) and its surroundings region is one of the most polluted regions in PRC with higher average annual PM2.5 concentration and higher CO2 emission. The region is subject to more stringent air pollution and CO2 emission control than other regions in PRC. In the National Air Pollution Action Plan (NAPAP) rolled out in 2013, a 25% reduction in annual average PM2.5 concentrations by 2017 compared to 2012 in the BTH region is explicitly required, which is stringent than the 20% reduction target in the Yangtze River Delta and 15% reduction target in the Pearl River Delta regions. In the national 13th Five-Year Work Plan on Greenhouse Gas Control, the CO2 intensity reduction targets of 30 provinces are divided into five categories. The plan requires a 20.5% reduction in CO2 intensity in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Shandong-along with Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong, in 2020, relative to 2015, which is stringent than other provinces. To achieve these targets, great efforts have been taken in the region. The four municipalities and provinces have reaped remarkable results in recent years. While the development of the current plans and program have rarely taken into accounts the attainment of the 2oC temperature control target and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and there is a lack of an integrated long-term, cost-effective strategy for addressing climate change and air pollution in the region through 2035.

JEL codes: Q20, Q30