BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Mobile sources have emerged as a major contributor to China's air pollution, according to a report released Friday by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE).
The total pollutant emissions from mobile sources in 2024 hit more than 18.58 million tonnes, with motor vehicles accounting for 12.86 million tonnes of this total.
Within this category, cars were the predominant polluters, contributing over 90 percent of the total emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from all motor vehicles.
Non-road mobile sources, including construction machinery, agricultural machinery, ships and railway diesel locomotives, emitted 5.73 million tonnes of pollutants in 2024.
The report noted that China's transportation structure is predominantly road-based, handling approximately 70 percent of both passenger and freight transport.
It emphasized that optimizing this structure is a key measure for improving air quality. This involves building a medium and long-distance freight system centered on electric railways and cleaner vessels, and a short-distance freight system relying on new energy vehicles and logistics pipelines.
The ministry pledged to guide local governments to enhance environmental management of mobile sources, effectively reduce pollutant emissions, and achieve sustained improvements in air quality. ■
