China to scrap millions of cars in attempt to reduce pollution

The Chinese government is determined to tackle the air pollution problem in the country. In a bid to cut the emissions, China plans to take up to 6 million vehicles that don’t meet required standards off the road by the end of the year. 7,8% of the cars in China don’t meet the minimum national standards, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Only in Beijing 330,000 cars are set to be withdrawn and the city’s authorities have recently offered subsidies to drivers who voluntary have their cars scrapped.
Many provinces forbid cars that don’t meet the standards from entering the cities. The authorities also limit the number of new car licenses as a way of reducing car use.
A recent government report said that 30% of the air pollution in cities comes from exhaust fumes and 20% of the farmland is polluted.
According to the plan published by China’s cabinet, reducing pollution has become a top priority for the country. China’s leaders try to reverse damage done by decades of rapid economic development and after years of denying the problem existed. They introduce emergency measures: the coal consumption will be reduced and more green technologies will be introduced.