Fewer emissions, better life: Beijing low emission zone final report

This report outlines the progress and prospects of Beijing’s low-emission zone and congestion charging policies, which have been under development since 2014 with the assistance of WRI China. Beijing’s implementation in September 2017 of a low-emission zone (LEZ), with a strong assist from WRI, marked a huge milestone—not just in the capital’s efforts to reduce pollution and improve the health of its residents, but in China’s overall push to curb climate change emissions. The LEZ, China’s first, targets heavy-duty vehicles and is expected to reduce 11 metric tons of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides each day in its first two years, in addition to bringing a huge annual abatement of carbon dioxide and delivering significant health benefits in the short and long terms.