Core Insights - The Asian Clean Air Center held the 2025 China Blue Sky Observation Forum, releasing a report on air quality standards in collaboration with Tsinghua University and Peking University [1] - The proposed revision of the air quality standard suggests a new PM2.5 annual concentration limit of 25 micrograms per cubic meter, which aligns with the WHO's second phase transition target [2] - The current air quality standard, implemented in 2016, has seen over 70% of cities meeting the PM2.5 standard, indicating a need for an updated benchmark [1][2] Group 1: Current Standards and Proposed Changes - The existing PM2.5 annual concentration limit is set at 35 micrograms per cubic meter, which corresponds to the initial WHO guideline [1] - The new proposed standard of 25 micrograms per cubic meter aims to enhance health benefits and further improve air quality [2] - The revision process considers China's development stage, resource endowment, and environmental capacity [1] Group 2: Health and Economic Implications - Implementing stricter air quality standards is expected to drive industrial structure optimization and energy transition, despite potential short-term economic pressures [3] - The ecological environment department has made positive progress in evaluating the implementation of air quality standards and their health impacts [3] - The approach to revising standards will focus on a balanced strategy, avoiding extreme measures while ensuring local governments can meet the new targets [3]

Core Insights - The forum held by the Asia Clean Air Center in Beijing focused on the theme of "Continuous Improvement of Air Quality: Standards Leading, Health Driven" and presented the latest research findings on environmental air quality standards in collaboration with Tsinghua University and Peking University [1] Group 1: Air Quality Standards Revision - The current air quality standards (GB3095-2012) were revised in 2012 and fully implemented in 2016, with a revision process initiated in 2022 [1] - The State Council's "Action Plan for Continuous Improvement of Air Quality" released in November 2023 emphasizes the need to start revising air quality standards and related technical specifications [1] - The demand for revising and raising standards has become clear, especially since the national average PM2.5 concentration has met standards for five consecutive years since 2020 [3] Group 2: Health and Economic Impact - The report "Economic Impact Assessment of China's Air Quality Standards Revision" utilized a computable general equilibrium model to evaluate the macroeconomic impacts and cost-benefit analysis of four standard revision scenarios [7] - Stricter air quality standards may impose short-term economic pressures due to increased pollution reduction expenditures, but they can also drive industrial structure optimization and energy transition [7][8] - The cost-benefit analysis indicates that implementing stricter standards earlier yields greater net benefits, particularly in the medium to long term as health benefits accumulate [8] Group 3: International Practices and Comparisons - The report includes a comparative analysis of international practices in air quality standards revision, particularly focusing on the United States and the European Union [10] - The U.S. follows a highly institutionalized standard review mechanism, assessing air quality standards every five years based on the latest scientific evidence, while the EU's revisions are driven by macro strategies and international consensus [11] - The analysis highlights the differences in the assessment frameworks, with the U.S. emphasizing health impacts and the EU focusing on multi-objective balance, including environmental equity [11]