A water system flows through Anji county, Zhejiang province. [Photo/VCG]

The Department of Ecology and Environment of Zhejiang Province released its 2024 report on the ecological environment on June 12, reporting continued high-quality environmental conditions across the province.

In water management, Zhejiang completed the construction of centralized treatment facilities for chemical wastewater at 10 industrial parks. It also made significant progress in controlling pollution sources, finishing clean-up work on 44 key river and lake outfalls in major national watersheds.

Air quality also improved. The average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Zhejiang's major cities was 26.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. Four cities — Zhoushan, Lishui, Taizhou, and Wenzhou — ranked among the top 20 out of 168 key cities nationwide for clean air.

The province completed over 18,000 emission-reduction projects last year and scrapped 94,000 outdated vehicles — both record highs in recent years. Efforts to upgrade 13 major industries and 29 air-related industrial clusters contributed to an 81 percent clean transport rate for bulk cargo.

Notably, Zhejiang experienced its warmest year since 1961, with an average annual temperature of 18.8 C, which was 1.2 C above the historical norm. All 32 national meteorological stations in the province recorded new temperature highs. This marked the 12th consecutive year of above-average temperatures in Zhejiang.