China sets timetable for new fuel standards

China's government is set to curb emissions within four years, although the country's auto association claims it is a ‘scapegoat’.

During the month of January, pollution levels in Beijing were, on average, worse than a smoking lounge in Atlanta airport. In response to public outcry, the government have set a new mandate for fuel emissions, which are slated to come into effect by 2017.

The new standard will cap fuel sulphur content to within 10-parts-per-million (PPM) before year-end, with a grace period extending to the end of 2017. So far, Beijing is the only city in China to have adopted the standard, which is equivalent to Europe’s Euro V specifications.Nonetheless, cleaner fuels may also mean higher prices, which the government claimed will be “fixed properly” so that disadvantaged people and non-profit organisations will not be too seriously affected.

Despite booming car sales and a national vehicular population of over 240 million units, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers believes the auto industry has become a “scapegoat” for the toxic smog. Yang Shengji, deputy secretary general of the CAAM, claimed the scapegoating was “unreasonable” and that blaming the smog solely on car emissions “lacks scientific proof”.

Data gathered by the Beijing municipal government showed tailpipe emissions accounted for just 22% of the PM2.5, suggesting coal-generated power plants, factory emissions, surface dust and construction sites were the biggest contributors to the problem.