Shanghai is likely to become the first city nationwide to pilot PM2.5 forecasts in 2013, as national legislators submitted proposals to address thorny environmental issues.

"We will try to report PM2.5 data one day in advance by the end of this year. The date will eventually be lengthened to two days," said Zhang Quan, an NPC deputy and director of the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau.

He suggested that "ecological civilization" be written into the Constitution so environmental issues will be legally defined as a national priority.