China is seeking to address its pollution issue with the removal of older cars from the road, planning to decommission at least five million cars that do not meet fuel standards.
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The nation's high pollution levels in have been a source of public criticism over the past few years, with pictures of dense smog often making their way around the world and doing China no favors. China's air and water quality are low due to the effects of rapid, unfettered industrial growth over many years, and this can be one step in reversing the trend.
The news comes via Reuters, which states that the nation outlined this policy in a government document today. "Yellow label" vehicles that do not meet more efficient fuel standards will be eliminated, including over 330,000 cars in Beijing alone. An additional 660,000 will be taken off the road from the Hebei province, which was home to seven of China's smoggiest cities last year.
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Statistics from a Beijing environmental group show that vehicular pollution was responsible for 31 percent of a particular airborne hazard, and the sooner below-standard cars are not giving off more emissions, the better.
"Many vehicles have problems and many didn't even meet the standards when they came out of the factory, and fining them on the streets isn't the way to solve this problem," said Li Kunsheng, an official at the Beijing municipal environmental bureau responsible for tracking transportation emissions.
The population of China is many times what the country will be taking off the road in cars, but every car on the road contributes to the issue, especially the older, more dangerous models. Beijing plans to limit the number of cars on the road to 5.6 million this year, and China increased its environmental protection and energy saving funding by 14 percent last year.
