Smog in Beijing [Photo: 163.com]

Beijing plans to reduce the annual average density of the fine particulate matter PM2.5 in the city by 30% by 2020, to a level similar to those in Western European cities.

The municipality environmental authorities released its environmental protection plan for the period from 2016 to 2020, which aims to reduce the average concentrations of PM2.5 to around 56 micrograms per cubic meters in 2020. The plan also aims to see more than 200 days, or 56%, of the year with PM2.5 amount below that level.

PM2.5 is a kind of particle that can be breathed into lungs and cause lung, cardiac and diseases. In Europe, PM2.5 has been blamed for reducing the average life expectancy by 8.6 months.

The city also plans to increase the portion of clean and high-quality energy used in the city, such as gas, electricity and solar power, to more than 90% by 2020. Beijing will also remove all coal burning boilers by that time, with high-emission cars banned on the city's roads.

The plan has also addressed water and soil problems, with projected annual total water usage in the city set below 4.3 billion cubic meters by 2020.