Zhejiang province aims for all its 11 prefecture-level cities to largely meet "Beautiful City" development requirements by 2030 under a new environmental protection plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

The plan was outlined at a provincial government news conference on Oct 23, focusing on greener industries, cleaner energy, low-carbon transport, and improved environmental management.

By 2030, more than 70 percent of the province's counties are expected to complete countywide "Beautiful Countryside" development, while the number of green factories at the provincial level or above is targeted to reach 2,000.

Non-fossil energy sources are expected to account for 26.3 percent of total energy consumption by 2030, supported by further development of wind, solar, and nuclear power.

In transport, Zhejiang aims to expand its fleet of new energy heavy-duty trucks to more than 70,000, accounting for 20 percent of the province's heavy-duty truck fleet, and install more than 12,000 charging and battery-swapping points for these vehicles. Plans also call for more than 6,000 kilometers of zero-carbon road freight corridors.

The province will strengthen pollution monitoring and promote AI applications in environmental management.

In 2025, Zhejiang's average PM2.5 concentration stood at 24.9 micrograms per cubic meter, while 99.4 percent of nationally monitored surface-water sections met good or excellent water quality standards.