(ECNS) -- Shanghai has rolled out measures to impose pollution fees on emitters in order to battle smog, the Beijing Times has reported.
According to Shanghai's environment protection bureau, the fare mainly targets volatile organic compounds (VOCs), major components of PM2.5 and smog.
The fare is set to rise gradually in three phases until it covers the cost of cleaning, starting from October 1, 2015, July 1, 2016 and January 1, 2017, respectively. Emitters will pay for a kilogram of VOCs with 10 yuan, 15 yuan and 20 yuan in each stage, the environmental authority said. Enterprises that fail to meet a pollutant control target will also be charged.
The plan has been jointly created by the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the Shanghai Finance Bureau, and the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau.
It covers 12 industries, including shipbuilding, petrochemicals, automobiles, package printing and furniture. Higher prices will be adopted for industries on a list of outdated productivity.
By these measures, the Shanghai government says it aims to reduce more than half of the industrial pollutants in the city by the end of 2017.
