For the first six months of this year, Shanghai's air quality scored better than usual!
According to officials, the average PM2.5 was 54 micrograms - a 3.6 percent decrease from last year over the same time period. Unfortunately, that's still pretty high, as the national limit over a one year period is 35, while the World Health Organization's standard is a solid 10.
But the city is working to keep our air cleaner. We can thank our bluer skies due to an increase of anti-pollution measures, such as cleaner oil for ships and controlling VOC's (volatile organic compounds) spewed from local factories. The government also aims to lower the yearly average density of PM2.5 by the end of 2020.
According to the EPA (environmental protection bureau), Shanghai residents received 130 days of 'Good' or 'Excellent' air quality for the first six months of the year. Keep that G20 blue coming!
