Shanghai is rolling out a three-year action plan for environment protection as the city is determined to present a cleaner image to participants of 2010 World Expo, Mayor Han Zheng said on Sunday.

In the plan, to be announced soon, the government will inject about $10 billion into environmental protection over three years from next year, Han said when meeting his international consultants, mainly CEOs of large companies.

"We have made the decision that the investment in environment protection will not be lower than three percent of GDP generated in the year," the mayor said.

That translates into roughly 40 billion yuan investment in the sector for this year.

According to Han, the discharge of carbon dioxide will be reduced by 26 percent over the range between 2005 and 2010.

During the period the chemical oxygen demand will be lowered by 15 percent. All newly registered cars will be required to meet the Euro IV emission standard from the second half of next year.

He said further efforts will be made to eliminate polluting projects. About 500 such projects will be shut down this year and 700 projects will be forced to close next year.

"We will embark on the mass construction of metro network in the coming years," Han said.

By 2012, the mileage of Shanghai's metro line will be 500 km, more than twice its current length.

Control on private cars will not be lifted, Han said.

More public green land will be added.

(China Daily November 4, 2008)