BEIJING - Beijing will ban gasoline-powered vehicles that fail to meet the National Emission Standard II from entering the city's Sixth Ring Road starting January 1 of next year to cut pollution, the local environmental authority said.

Beijing currently has 5.57 million vehicles, which discharge 700,000 tons of pollutants annually. Vehicle discharge is the top cause of pollution in the city, accounting for 31 percent of the total. Beijing currently imposes the National Emission Standard V for vehicles, with each new standard, actual pollutant amounts dropped by 30 to 50 percent per vehicle.

Vocabulary:

Emission, discharge