Deemed in breach of central directives, projects exceeding fixed limits for emissions and energy intensity are now main targets of punitive inspections. The latest round of these confirms provinces like Shanxi and Liaoning tacitly rely on such projects for rapid growth. Regional emissions reductions will not be approved if they fail to meet the conditions. In a mid-2021 example, Shandong will
- strictly issue pollution discharge permits
- require the pollutant discharge permit department to fully verify EAIs, etc in the ‘two highs’ review process