North China's Shanxi province will select Taiyuan, Datong and Linfen as pilot cities to carry out collaborative innovation in urban pollution and carbon reduction. 

According to the Implementation Plan for Pollution and Carbon Reduction collaboration released on Feb 7, Shanxi will implement 12 key projects focusing on reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in industry, transportation, urban and rural construction, agriculture, and the environment. 

The plan clearly stated that each city should combine the characteristics of its own industry and select at least 10 key enterprises to carry out the reduction of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. 

By 2025, Shanxi aims to greatly enhance the clean utilization efficiency of coal, optimize its industrial structure, and make significant progress in urban pollution and carbon reduction. 

Reductions in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP should meet the national targets. 

The average annual concentration of PM2.5 or airborne fine particulate matter in cities should be less than 39 micrograms per cubic meter; the proportion of water bodies with excellent quality in the sections under national inspection should reach 85 percent; and there should be no water bodies inferior to Grade V – the lowest level of water classification that cannot meet standards for drinking, or industrial or agricultural usage.