Hebei province achieved significant environmental protection progress and green development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), according to a press conference held by the Information Office of the Hebei Provincial People's Government on Thursday.

The province now leads the country with over 42,000 new energy heavy-duty trucks in operation, said Mei Shitong, head of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Hebei, at the conference.

Clean transport accounts for more than 90 percent in key industries, with new energy vehicles making up over 73 percent of the total, he said.

According to Mei, the province's air quality has improved, with the average PM2.5 concentration dropping to 37.7 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024, down 18.6 percent from the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20).

Moreover, all prefecture-level cities have moved out of the bottom ten in national air quality rankings for three consecutive years.

Hebei has also optimized its energy structure, with wind and photovoltaic power installed capacity reaching 140 million kilowatts, among the top in the country.

Water quality in the province has also seen remarkable enhancements. In 2024, the proportion of excellent surface water quality at national monitoring sections exceeded 80 percent, an increase of over 13.8 percent compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period.

The excellent water quality rate in coastal areas reached 99.2 percent, ranking second nationally, Mei said.

Additionally, soil pollution control in Hebei has also been effective, with full coverage of remediation and risk control measures for both construction land and contaminated farmland, he added.