UN report Greater effort needed to meet pollution standards

Additional work is needed for Beijing to meet the standards set by the World Health Organization for PM10 and PM2.5, according to a United Nations report released on Monday.

Air pollution control measures taken by Beijing since 1998 have resulted in positive trends toward improved air quality, said the review jointly conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme and Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

For instance, annual concentrations of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide are now lower than limits set by the Chinese authorities.