Green Olympics

Air pollution is a major concern for the Beijing Olympics. Today, there are 3.1 million motor vehicles with an additional 1,000 to 1,200 vehicles added daily in Beijing.

Automobile exhausts contribute 40 to 50 percent of the major pollutants in the air. As an effort to reduce the pollution, starting January 1, 2008, Beijing will be the first city to sell gasoline and diesel at the China IV standards, which is same as the Euro IV standards in the European Union.

Since the enforcement of using gasoline and diesel at China III standards in 2005, equivalent to the Euro III standards, 2,480 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions have been reduced. The new standard is expected to reduce additional 1,840 tons of sulfur dioxide annually.