China to scrap 11 million ‘high-pollution vehicles’
Authorities have outlined plans to withdraw millions of vehicles from service in an effort to reduce China’s air pollution levels
The Chinese government hopes that by withdrawing 11 million 'high-polluting vehicles' it can make a significant difference to pollution levels in cities such as Beijing (pictured) and Tianjin
According to a short statement posted on the government’s web portal, China intends to scrap six million ‘high-polluting vehicles’ before year’s end. The move comes as part of China’s emboldened efforts to curb emissions, particularly in northern regions where smog currently clouds much of the cityscape.
China’s Cabinet admitted that it had already fallen short of its 2011-2013 targets, and pledged to ramp up its efforts to prevent this from happening again. A recent report from China’s environmental watchdog revealed that 31.1 percent of Beijing’s air pollution stems from vehicle exhausts, leading the country’s government to resort to drastic measures in order to overturn the damage done so far.
31.1 percent of Beijing’s air pollution stems from vehicle exhausts
Of the six million cars due to be eliminated from service, 20 percent are in the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as the Hebei province. Namely, 330,000 vehicles will be withdrawn from Beijing, and another 660,000 from the Hebei province.
What’s more, according to an action plan published by the State Council, another five million will be eliminated next year, bringing to total number of vehicles affected to 11 million. “Strengthening control on vehicle emissions will be a major agenda item for the country’s energy savings, emissions reductions, and low-carbon development during the next two years,” it reads.
“In terms of automotive emissions standards legislation, China, in principle, has been lagging behind Europe for some time,” says Richard Smokers, Strategic Advisor on Sustainable Mobility for TNO. “However, it has quickly been catching up over the last decade.”
The measures will be mandatory, although the authorities are yet to specify details on how the plan will be carried out in full. The plans are by far the most drastic unveiled thus far as part of China’s drive to cut emissions, as the country looks to bring energy consumption per unit of growth down by 3.9 percent in 2014 to meet an ambitious 16 percent target.
