It may have been less of a coincidence that Beijing raised its smog alert to the second-highest level on the same day, as President Xi Jinping addressed world leaders in Paris, pledging China's "confidence and resolve to fulfill itsclimate change commitments." Grimy smog from coal-fired winter heating had been darkening the region for over a week, but as Xi spoke,particulate concentrations in China's capital climbed to over 20 times the safe levels set by the World HealthOrganization. The collision of events point to the complexity of China's climate policies, which are aimed at ensuring a peak in itsworld-leading carbon emissions by "around 2030," although urban smog only seems to be getting worse. Read more
