The scheme is a local version of a plan drawn up by the country’s central bank, the report said, for a domestic emissions trading scheme that could cover everything from greenhouse gases to water pollutants.
The city, which is the capital of Hunan province, would assign its local districts quotas for dust, carbon dioxide and chemical oxygen demand (COD), a measure of water pollution. Changsha would then fine districts that exceed the level or give incentives if they are under. They could then trade those quotas, the report said. The mayor, Zhang Jianfei, estimated the system could be in place as early as next year.
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