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

The World Expo Park in Shanghai, costing nearly 100 million yuan, made its public debut on September 5, 2008. The park, also called the city's green lung, covers an area of 29 hectares and is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. Visitors from all over the world will make a sightseeing tour here during the World Expo period in 2010.

In the plan, to be announced soon, the government will inject about US$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 3 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)