Beijing to expand green space coverage

BEIJING -- Beijing will add more green space in 2024 with an objective that 91 percent of residents will enjoy parks and small green areas within a radius of 500 meters, according to the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau's recently concluded work conference.

Beijing plans to complete afforestation of 10,000 mu (666.67 hectares) while adding another 200 hectares of urban green space in 2024, said Gao Dawei, head of the bureau, adding the city will strive to become a garden city nestled in forests.

Beijing will add 15 leisure parks and urban forests, and 50 pocket parks and small green areas in 2024, according to the conference.

Meanwhile, Beijing has 1,065 parks of various kinds, with the per capita coverage of green spaces measuring 16.9 square meters.

By the end of last year, Beijing had attained a forest coverage of 44.9 percent, and an urban afforestation coverage of 49.8 percent. The annual carbon sinks of forests and urban greens hit 9.2 million tonnes.