Beijing to fully implement strict vehicle emissions standard

BEIJING-- Beijing will ban heavy-duty diesel vehicles from Monday if they cannot meet the fifth phase emissions standard, becoming the first Chinese city to fully adopt the national standard.

The standard is equal to the Euro V emissions cap.

The move will cut emissions of pollutants, according to Li Kunsheng, a vehicle exhaust administration official with the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.

From June 1, only heavy diesel vehicles that meet the standard will be issued license plates. Other types of gasoline and diesel automobiles have been subject to the standard for two years already.

Vehicle emissions are the prime cause of air pollution in Beijing.

The capital city has about 220,000 heavy diesel vehicles, each weighing at least 3.5 tonnes, accounting for 4 percent of all vehicles in the capital. However, they account for 50 percent of all vehicle emissions of nitrogen oxides and 90 percent of particles.

Diesel vehicles that meet the fifth phase standard discharge 40 percent less nitrogen oxides than fourth phase standard vehicles.

The municipal government have been offering subsidies to encourage car owners to scrap vehicles that fail to meet the fifth phase standard, with rewards of up to 21,500 yuan ($3,460).

Beijing is working to reduce the annual average density of PM2.5 by 5 percent this year. It failed to hit the target last year by only registering decline of four percent.

PM2.5 refers to fine particles measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which pose a serious health hazard.