China plans to end its "one size fits all" approach to fighting pollution, the environment ministry said Monday, as it tries to devise more nuanced policies that match local conditions and minimize economic disruption.
The failure to take heed of local conditions will be regarded as a form of bureaucratic thinking and officials will be held responsible for any serious problems that arise, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) said in a notice.
China imposed blanket restrictions on traffic, coal use and industrial activity throughout the smog-prone north last year as it raced to meet its politically crucial air quality targets.