Shanghai will lower the average density of the hazardous PM2.5 pollutant particles by a bigger margin than had been expected.

The average density of PM2.5 — Shanghai’s major air pollutant — will fall “steadily below 40 micrograms per cubic meter” by 2020 as envisioned in the draft of a new three-year (2018-2020) environmental protection plan issued yesterday. Previously, the target was expected to be set at 42 micrograms per cubic meter.

The draft plan is Shanghai’s seventh three-year environmental protection project, which also sets targets for the city’s water quality, sewage dealing capacity, industrial waste discharge control and other environmental issues.