The purpose of formulating the Action Plan is to effectively improve air quality. The Action Plan uses three “concerns” to emphasize the importance and urgency of atmospheric environmental protection. It concerns the fundamental interests of the people, concerns sustained and healthy economic development, concerns the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and concerns the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

　　The Action Plan sets out the goals and specific targets for efforts over five years. Among the specific targets, it stipulates that by 2017, the concentration of inhalable particulate matter in cities at prefecture level and above nationwide will decrease by more than 10% compared with 2012; the concentration of fine particulate matter in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta regions will decrease by about 25%, 20%, and 15%, respectively.

　　The Action Plan has clear requirements for cement enterprises and also puts forward differentiated requirements for enterprises in different regions:

　　—— Accelerate the construction of desulfurization, denitrification, and dust removal renovation projects. New dry-process cement kilns shall implement low-nitrogen combustion technology renovation and install denitrification facilities. Existing dust removal facilities for industrial kilns shall be upgraded and renovated. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta regions shall basically complete the construction and renovation of pollution control facilities for industrial kilns by the end of 2015.

　　—— Deepen the control of non-point source pollution. Large coal piles and material piles shall be stored in enclosed facilities or equipped with windbreak and dust suppression facilities.

　　—— Strictly control new production capacity in “two high” industries. New, reconstruction, and expansion projects shall implement equal or reduced replacement of production capacity.

　　—— Accelerate the elimination of outdated production capacity. Complete the task of eliminating outdated production capacity in the cement industry under the “12th Five-Year Plan” one year ahead of schedule. In 2015, eliminate another 100 million tons of cement (clinker and grinding capacity).

　　—— Reduce excess production capacity. Promote the reduction of excess production capacity through cross-regional and cross-ownership enterprise mergers and reorganizations. It is strictly prohibited to approve new production capacity projects in industries with severe overcapacity.

　　—— Resolutely halt the construction of illegal ongoing projects in industries with severe overcapacity.

　　—— Comprehensively promote cleaner production. Enterprises shall conduct cleaner production audits.

　　—— Vigorously develop the circular economy. Promote the implementation of coordinated waste disposal in cement industrial kilns.

　　—— Improve energy efficiency. The energy consumption per unit product (output value) of new projects shall reach the domestic advanced level, and energy-using equipment shall reach the Level 1 energy efficiency standard. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta regions, the energy consumption per unit product (output value) of new projects shall reach the international advanced level.

　　—— Strengthen the constraints of energy conservation and environmental protection indicators. In the 47 cities of the “three regions and ten city clusters”, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta regions, as well as central Liaoning, Shandong, Wuhan and its surrounding areas, Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan, Chengdu-Chongqing, the west coast of the Taiwan Strait, central and northern Shanxi, the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi, Gansu-Ningxia, and the Urumqi urban agglomeration, new cement enterprises shall implement special emission limits for atmospheric pollutants.

　　—— Optimize the spatial pattern. In conjunction with resolving excess production capacity, energy conservation and emission reduction, and enterprise mergers and reorganizations, orderly advance the environmental relocation and renovation of heavily polluting cement enterprises located in the main urban areas of cities, and basically complete this by 2017.

　　—— Give play to the regulatory role of market mechanisms. Establish an enterprise “leader” system and encourage advanced enterprises whose energy efficiency and pollutant discharge intensity reach higher standards. Implement integrated franchising of investment, construction, and operation of pollution control facilities. Incorporate enterprise environmental information into the credit reporting system. Strictly restrict loans and listing financing for enterprises that violate environmental laws.

　　—— Increase environmental law enforcement. For illegal enterprises that secretly discharge or repeatedly violate the law, production shall be suspended and they shall be closed in accordance with the law. Those suspected of environmental crimes shall be held criminally liable in accordance with the law.

　　—— Implement environmental information disclosure. Enterprises shall proactively disclose environmental information such as the environmental impact assessment of new projects, enterprise pollutant emissions, and the operation of pollution control facilities, and accept social supervision. Establish a mandatory environmental information disclosure system for enterprises in heavily polluting industries.

　　—— The fine particulate matter indicators in key regions and the inhalable particulate matter indicators in non-key areas shall be treated as binding indicators for economic and social development, and a target responsibility assessment system centered on environmental quality improvement shall be built.

　　Cement enterprises are the responsible entities for air pollution control. The Action Plan requires that, under the leadership of local governments, enterprises shall, in accordance with environmental protection norms and requirements, strengthen internal management, increase capital investment, adopt advanced production processes and treatment technologies, ensure compliance with emission standards, and even achieve “zero emissions”; they shall consciously fulfill their social responsibility for environmental protection and accept social supervision.

　　The national air pollution prevention and control action plan has been introduced, and cement enterprises should act actively. Although the efforts of many cement enterprises in environmental protection have won social praise and recognition, it cannot be denied that there have recently been many reports of negative news about cement enterprises in environmental protection. For example, enterprises failed energy-saving indicator assessments, did not implement denitrification treatment facilities according to local plans, exposed violations in “unannounced” environmental law enforcement inspections, and failed to face up to the supervision and criticism of environmental public organizations—actions and behaviors that failed to shoulder social responsibility. There also seems to have been no news report of real action being taken to resolutely halt the construction of illegal ongoing projects in industries with severe overcapacity.

　　The Action Plan finally points out that China is still in the primary stage of socialism, and the task of air pollution prevention and control is arduous and heavy. We must strengthen confidence, carry out comprehensive governance, highlight key points, advance step by step, focus on implementation, and seek practical results. It also requires all enterprises to closely combine with reality, vigorously grasp implementation, and ensure that the air quality improvement goals are achieved on schedule in accordance with the requirements of the Action Plan.

　　Cement enterprises that have done relatively well in environmental protection should compare themselves with the Action Plan and strive to meet higher requirements of “zero emissions”, while enterprises that have been slow to act on environmental issues, held back their localities, and been criticized in local notices should deepen their understanding that enterprises are the responsible entities for air pollution control, actively participate in air pollution prevention and control actions, and earnestly shoulder the social responsibility for environmental protection that they should bear.