Beijing adopts regulation on emissions control

Lawmakers in Beijing have voted through a regulation to further control the emissions of automobiles and non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) at the annual session of the municipal people's congress which concluded Friday.

The regulation will take effect on May 1.

Yu Jianhua, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, said coal-smoke pollution has been sharply reduced, and vehicle and NRMM emissions have become the primary source of PM2.5 in the city.

NRMM is defined in the regulation as mobile machinery equipped with engine and transportable industrial equipment used in engineering, agriculture, material handling and airport ground service.

Beijing had 6.36 million registered automobiles by the end of 2019, with about 30,000 trucks coming in every day from outside the city, as well as 40,000 to 60,000 NRMMs for long-term use.

Motor vehicles with emissions exceeding the standard level will be blacklisted, and particular makes and models with high emissions rates will be traced to their manufacturers, Yu said.

Similar regulations adopted by neighboring Hebei province and Tianjin municipality will also take effect on May 1.