Several Chinese energy and steel companies – all of them state owned – have been singled out for breaking pollution rules after the country’s environment chief made a surprise inspection tour of Henan province this week, according to the environment ministry.

The two-day visit, which ended Tuesday, was led by Huang Runqiu, the minister of ecology and environment, and the highest-ranking member in the central government who is not a member of the Communist Party.

During their inspection, Huang and his team said they discovered widespread non-compliance and illegal practices among companies that had violated anti-pollution rules and added to the severe air pollution in the province…

…The Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Law requires companies to adopt measures to reduce their emissions, use cleaner technologies and fuels, and to report their emissions to the government. The law also imposes penalties on companies and individuals who violate the standards and regulations.

According to data from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), China has reduced its particulate pollution by 28 per cent since 2014.

More on South China Morning Post…