Change and Transformation of Atmospheric Environmental Governance in the Ecological Civilization Era

With all the efforts to put in the prevention and control of air pollution, China’s air quality has been improved significantly. However, China still suffers from combined air pollution comprising dual high O₃ and PM_2.5. In response to the international call for climate action, China has put forward the strategic goals of “achieving CO₂ emissions peak before 2030, carbon neutrality before 2060”. To achieve these goals, it is imperative for China to integrate pollution control and carbon reduction. In this chapter, we will introduce the characteristics of China’s air pollution and the history of governance, analyze the correlation between combined air pollution and climate change, investigate the mechanism and potential of the “dual carbon” strategy to promote the deep integration of pollution control and carbon reduction, and discuss the approaches to carbon neutrality and the fundamental improvement of air quality under the concept of ecological civilization.