Policy update
China’s Clean Diesel Action Plan: 2018–2020
In January 2019, China launched a new action plan to address air pollution by cleaning up diesel-powered on-road vehicles, off-road equipment, and ships. This plan is one part of the larger, three-year National Plan of Blue-Sky Defense, and it places stricter requirements on air pollution-prone areas—the key regions named in Figure 1, below.
The plan details 18 different actions over four program areas—clean diesel vehicles, clean diesel engines, clean transportation, and clean diesel fuel—with three overarching targets: (1) ensure that 90% of diesel vehicles are in compliance with current emission standards (95% in key regions); (2) ensure that 95% of diesel fuel meets 10 ppm sulfur content limit, and that 95% diesel emission fluid (urea) by volume is in compliance with current national standards (98% in key regions); and (3) increase railroad freight transportation by 30% compared with 2017 level.
