Will China's Epic Pollution Force Environmental Reforms?

China is facing rolling shutdowns of its factories and power plants as the country grapples with severe and unprecedented pollution. With the winter weather trapping smog in place, pollution levels have soared 'beyond index', clocking in at 20 times over the WHO's safe levels. Residents are urged to stay inside and, with visibility less than 100 meters, several airports have had to cancel flights during China's busiest travel season.

Xinhua, China's news agency, is reporting that Beijing plans to unveil new policies aimed at addressing the pollution crisis. Surely this has reached an economic tipping point for the Chinese and is a severe health hazard for its for its population. Will the economic impact from factory and power plant closures force Beijing to adopt comprehensive environmental reforms, like the Clean Air Act? Have these shutdowns impacted your manufacturing?

Read more about  the industrial impacts of China's pollution crisis at BusinessGreen

Read more about China's epic pollution in The Guardian