Polluters to cut emissions for Olympics

Beijing's polluting businesses are ready to suspend operation or cut emissions for the upcoming Olympic Games, municipal environmental protection officials said on Tuesday.

Enterprises in smelting, building materials and petrochemical sectors had worked out a detailed production suspension or emission cut plan, said Zheng Jiang, Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau deputy director.

"The comprehensive treatment measures prior to the Games have all been completed," Zheng said. "The emission cut measures to be taken during the event are ready to start."

More than 150 heavily polluting enterprises have prepared themselves to stop production during the event, according to Zheng. Some petrochemical plants in the capital have already suspended operation in advance.

Four major coal-fueled power companies in the capital will also cut their pollutants by 30 percent during the Olympics.

Basic work at all construction sites in Beijing would all be stopped by July 20.

By the end of June, the city's 1,462 gas stations, 52 oil storehouses and 1,387 oil tank trucks had completed an emission reclamation project, according to Zhong Liangxi, the municipal bureau's chief in charge of polluting source administration.

Some 300,000 heavily polluting vehicles in the city have been off the roads since July 1.

Air quality is a major concern for participants in the August 8 to 24 Games. The municipal authorities have also made it a priority to reduce pollution over the past decade, investing about 120 billion yuan ($17.45 billion) in the effort.

Subsidy mulled to boost air conditioner sector

The government is said to be considering providing subsidies to users and manufacturers of energy-efficient air conditioners as part of efforts to save energy and protect the environment.

Details of the policy, widely speculated in the Chinese press, have yet to be announced.

The National Development and Reform Commission has reportedly begun drafting a subsidy scheme and invite suggestions from manufacturers on ways to effectively promote the use of more energy-saving air conditioners.

The national standard classifies air conditioners into five grades from 1 to 5 according to the level of their energy consumption. A smaller number indicates higher efficiency. The standard took effect on March 1, 2005.

In the domestic electrical appliances market, most air conditioners on sale are graded between 3 and 5, indicating there is room for improvement in efficiency.

Ji Guangfei, a salesman in a home electrical appliances shop in Beijing, said: "Around 80 percent of air conditoners in our shop are graded from 3 to 5. Their prices are much lower than those in grade 1 or 2."

Ji added that his shop has to cater to consumers' needs and sell the cheaper products that most prefer. "It isn't realistic to stock too many energy-efficient air conditioners as they don't sell as well as the traditional ones."

According to Ji, energy-efficient air conditioners are usually priced double or even higher than the traditional ones. A grade 5 unit retails for about 1,700 yuan while a grade 2 unit from the same company could sell for more than 4,000 yuan.

At Dazhong electronics shop in Beijing's Chaoyang district, a buyer surnamed Wu, who just bought six large-capacity air conditioners for her company, told China Daily: "Fair price and durability are our No 1 concern when choosing an air conditioner. Our company has a fixed budget, and our priority is meeting the budget, not worry about energy consumption."

Another buyer surnamed Deng, who has just bought three air conditioners for his new apartment, said: "Of course I would prefer to buy energy-efficient units if I could afford them, but they are too expensive."

The State Information Center recently forecast the total domestic sales of air conditioners in 2008 will reach 27 to 30 million, up 5 to 7 percent from the year before.