China asks for opinions on new emission standard

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has completed the second draft of the National V Standard, the emission limit and method of measurement for light passenger vehicles, on Jan 16, 21st Century Business Herald reported Thursday.

The second draft of the National V Standard tightens the emission limit and adds a pollution control program called Particle Number to the pre-existing National IV Emissions Standard. The new standard applies to the design, production and sales of new vehicles, not vehicles already in use.

Nitrogen oxide emissions from one light passenger vehicle will be reduced by 25 to 28 percent and particles by 82 percent, according to the draft standard. However, the date for implementing the standard has not been scheduled.

China has raised the emission standard for light passenger vehicles four times since the release of the Emission Standard for Light Passenger Vehicles in 1989. Light passenger vehicles are those having a maximum total weight of 3.5 tons.

"The recent fog and haze forced the ministry to accelerate the release of the new standard," said Wang Yi, vice-director of the Institute of Policy and Management at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"According to the Environmental Air Quality Standard issued last year, we should improve the control over emissions of light passenger vehicles, reducing the pressure on the environment caused by the growth of vehicles," Wang said.