Detailed carbon target set for cement industry

Chinese authorities have set specific carbon emission reduction targets for the cement industry as the country moves toward a low-carbon economy.

From 2024 to 2025, China plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by around 13 million metric tons through industrial renovation and equipment renewal in cement production, according to an action plan released by government departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner.

During this period, China also aims to save energy equivalent to 5 million tons of standard coal in cement production, according to the plan.

By the end of 2030, it is expected that the overall energy efficiency of China's cement industry will reach a world-class level and its energy consumption pattern will be further optimized, the plan said.

In a plan released earlier this year, China stated that half of the cement clinker production capacity in its key regions for air pollution control should complete ultralow emission transformation by the end of 2025. By 2028, 80 percent of China's overall cement clinker production capacity will have finished this transformation.

The country has announced that it will peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

Police to crack down harder on street racing

Chinese police will further crackdown on street racing to ensure residents can enjoy safe, quiet nights, the Ministry of Public Security said on June 3.

Street racing, which usually takes place at night to avoid police detection, not only threatens traffic safety, but is also noisy and disturbs people's rest — particularly when students are preparing for high school and college entrance exams, the ministry said in a news release.

The ministry said a nationwide operation against street racing has been carried out since the beginning of this year and has achieved notable progress.

To raise awareness about the issue, the ministry published 10 instances of street racing that were stopped by police. It called on the public to report such illegal activities.

Ministries approve groups to join ICV pilot projects

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with three other ministries, has approved nine consortiums consisting of automobile manufacturers and enterprises who purchase them to join pilot projects for the approval and on-road operation of intelligent connected vehicles.

ICVs are vehicles equipped with internet access that allows them to share data with devices both inside and outside the car.

The projects, to be conducted in seven cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in Guangdong province, will cover passenger vehicles, buses and trucks. The move marks the country's latest efforts to promote the high-quality development of ICVs.

According to a notice issued on June 4, during the pilot phase, systematic product testing and safety evaluations will be conducted to explore the improvement of management systems in ICVs and the vehicles' impact on road safety.

The latest data shows that by the end of April, China had opened over 29,000 kilometers of test roads for ICVs, issued more than 6,800 test demonstration licenses and accumulated a total test mileage of over 88 million km.