Proposal to raise emission standards for cars

The Ministry of Transport said that air pollution has a direct impact on public health. The proportion of people in large cities suffering from diseases related to air pollution is quite high, in which children are the group most affected.

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated two-thirds of deaths and reduced life expectancy due to air pollution occur in developing countries in Asia. In our country, the rate of people suffering from respiratory diseases in large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is higher than in other cities. Air pollution also causes economic losses due to the costs of treating diseases and indirect costs due to lost working days of patients and caregivers.

In urban areas, emissions from road motor vehicles (RTVs) contribute the most to the total amount of emissions that pollute the air environment. According to air quality assessment reports, in two major cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, NOx and CO indexes - compounds in the emissions of RTVs - have exceeded the permitted level by 1.2 - 1.5 times, which is causing very negative impacts on people's health.

On September 1, 2011, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 49/2011/QD-TTg stipulating the roadmap for applying emission standards (TCKT) to newly manufactured, assembled and imported (SXLR&NK) automobiles and two-wheeled motorbikes. Accordingly, newly manufactured and imported automobiles will apply Euro 4 emission standards from January 1, 2017 and Euro 5 from January 1, 2022.

However, cars in traffic and imported used cars still apply the old emission standards prescribed 12 years ago, which are now outdated. Therefore, it is necessary to build a roadmap to improve emission standards to synchronize with emission control for new imported and domestically produced cars.

In urban areas, emissions from road motor vehicles contribute the most to the total amount of emissions causing air pollution.

According to the Ministry of Transport, raising emission standards for vehicles in traffic and imported used cars is necessary to protect the air environment, especially the urban air environment, and protect people's health.

The new emission standards take into account factors such as vehicle age, exhaust treatment technology and previous emissions control performance to facilitate vehicle users' compliance.

The draft proposes a roadmap for applying emission standards to imported used cars as follows: Cars equipped with spark-ignition engines (engines using gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas - LPG, compressed natural gas - CNG and similar types) will apply Level 4 from January 1, 2020.

Automobiles equipped with compression ignition engines (diesel and similar engines) apply level 3 from January 1, 2020.

The roadmap for applying emission standards for automobiles participating in traffic is as follows: Automobiles equipped with spark ignition engines and automobiles equipped with compression ignition engines (hereinafter referred to as automobiles) participating in traffic manufactured before 1999 will continue to apply level 1.

Cars in traffic manufactured from 1999 to the end of 2008 will apply level 2 from January 1, 2021.

Cars manufactured after 2008 will apply level 2 from January 1, 2020.