Shanxi Province has announced ambitious new measures to intensify ecological governance throughout the Yellow River basin, balancing environmental security with sustainable economic development. The initiative emerged from high-level discussions during the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress, where provincial leadership outlined their comprehensive vision for regional transformation.
Tang Dengjie, NPC Deputy and Provincial Party Secretary, emphasized the critical importance of basin-wide ecological conservation, advocating for continued carbon reduction initiatives and a sweeping green transition across industrial sectors. Governor Lu Dongliang concurrently highlighted energy transition as a cornerstone of the province’s five-year development strategy, stressing the dual objectives of maintaining energy security while advancing environmental protection.
The province’s environmental record during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) demonstrates significant progress, with ecological indicators reaching historic highs. Official data reveals a remarkable 28% reduction in the comprehensive air quality index, while days with good air quality reached 81.4% – unprecedented levels since monitoring began.
Linfen City, situated entirely within the Yellow River basin, exemplifies this transformation. Municipal Party Secretary Li Yunfeng characterized Linfen as a microcosm of provincial environmental efforts, detailing the city’s journey from severe pollution to emerging ecological leadership. “Previously, residents routinely wore masks during autumn and winter and avoided light-colored clothing outdoors due to pollution,” Li recalled, noting how environmental degradation once negatively impacted both public health and economic performance.
The city’s turnaround strategy involved shuttering high-energy-consuming enterprises, including the phase-out of 9.15 million tons of coking capacity and 220,000 tons of crude steel production over five years. These measures eliminated heavy pollution enterprises within the city and surrounding areas. Additionally, Linfen has initiated 95 Yellow River purification projects – the highest number in the province – including water conservancy hubs and pumped storage power stations.
Looking toward the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Shanxi plans to intensify its green development model. Linfen specifically aims to transform into a demonstration city for ecological conservation through accelerated energy transition, economic diversification, and advanced digital upgrades for traditional industries. The city has already completed intelligent transformations for most steel, coking, and foundry enterprises, with over 86% of bulk goods in traditional industries now transported via clean methods. Concurrently, the province is developing modern agriculture and cultural tourism projects along the Yellow River to create sustainable economic alternatives.