| China
unveils plan to curb sulfur dioxide, acid rain (11/07/2002)
The Chinese government recently approved a plan to cut sulfur dioxide
emission by 2005 in areas troubled by the polluting gas and acid
rain.
Jointly compiled by the State Environmental Protection Administration
and related departments, the plan involves 96.7 billion yuan (11.7
billion US dollars) of investment.
By 2005, the plan aims to cut the amount of sulfur dioxide emission
by one fifth from the level of 2000 in the four municipalities of
Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, the 21 provincial capital
cities, and 175 cities and areas above the prefecture level.
Though the size of the target area accounts for only 11.4 percent
of the country's total, the amount of sulfur dioxide emission discharged
there reaches 13.16 tons each year, about 66 percent of the country's
overall amount.
To reduce air pollution in coal-fueled power plants by 20 percent
on the 2000 level by 2005, the plan calls for increased investment,
and asks local governments to impose levies on discharge of sulfur
dioxide and introduce a pilot mechanism for trading the right to
discharge sulfur dioxide.
China will launch 550 projects to cut the emission of sulfur dioxide
by 3.87 tons a year within the next three years, and alleviate acid
rain in 80 percent of the cities plagued by it, according to the
plan.
(xinhua)
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