China to scrap millions of cars to improve air quality

China plans to remove six million vehicles that do not meet emission standards by the end of the year as a way of improving air quality.

31% of air pollution in the capital Beijing is thought to come from vehicle exhaust fumes, according to the state’s environmental agency.

The plan will see more than 300,000 vehicles taken off the roads in Beijing. Next year, a further five million vehicles will be scrapped from other regions.

Experts are also calling for higher quality fuels to tackle air pollution and smog.

This signals a major attitude change in China, whose central government has denied an air pollution issue existed until fairly recently. It now publishes figures for the air quality of China’s major cities and has set targets for improvements over the next five years.

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