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China’s Rx for Clean Air: Higher Fuel Prices, Lower Sulfur Content
China's central government is raising fuel prices and using the revenue to sharply reduce the sulfur content of gasoline, The Nikkei reports.
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China's central government is raising fuel prices and using the revenue to sharply reduce the sulfur content of gasoline, The Nikkei reports. The move aims to cut particulate density 15% in the country's largest cities by 2017.
The National Development and Reform Commission proposes a 5% increase in gasoline prices over the next four years. The measure will generate an estimated 50 billion yuan ($8.2 billion) in revenue to pay for upgrades at three state-run refineries.
China currently allows as much as 15 times the sulfur content in gasoline permitted in such developed markets as Europe and Japan. The goal is to cut sulfur content to five times the permissible level in those countries by the end of 2014.
The country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology introduced new regulations in April to bring China's automotive emission and fuel economy standards in line with those in Japan and Europe. By 2020, the ministry aims to improve new-vehicle fuel economy 50% and reduce carbon dioxide emissions 30%.
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