The State Council has given the go-ahead for Beijing to implement the tougher emissions standards for light vehicles. The regulations go into effect Friday for diesel-powered vehicles and in March for vehicles using gasoline.

Sales and registration of vehicles that don't meet the standard will be halted in Beijing. But the new standards will not be enforced for cars already on the road. Local authorities will issue blue labels to vehicles that meet the emissions standard. Authorities have published a list of vehicles that meet the new standards which it says are similar to those in force in Europe.

Meanwhile, the quality of gasoline and diesel varies considerably around the country, with higher standards in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Nanjing. Other cities still follow old European standards that allow much more sulfur in fuel. Sulfur levels in gasoline are still set at 150 parts per million and in diesel at 350 ppm. That compares with only 10 parts per million in the EU and Japan and 30 ppm in the US.