About the program
As vehicle emissions and efficiency regulations have become more stringent, the technologies used to mitigate emissions and reduce fuel consumption have become increasingly complex. A modern car or truck has a powerful computer under its hood and a small chemical plant, in effect, as part of its exhaust system, meaning there are many potential areas for system failure—or manipulation. All governments face significant challenges in ensuring that emissions and efficiency standards meant to protect public health and welfare are met in practice and not just in theory. Technology will continue to advance, and temptations to evade or subvert regulations will remain. An essential component of clean transportation policy, therefore, is effective measures to ensure that the intended outcomes from emissions-control and fuel-efficiency programs materialize throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
ICCT research and analyses have played crucial roles in illuminating the scale and scope of disparities between vehicle-efficiency targets or pollutant emissions standards and “real-world” achievement in everyday use. ICCT also provides data and expertise to efforts by government agencies and other stakeholders engaged in designing and operating programs to measure and track vehicle performance, spot problems such as systematically high-emitting vehicle models, and identify workable and effective resolutions that ensure that efficiency and pollution standards are met in practice as well as in theory.
In China, we closely work with national and local government to support a stronger compliance and enforcement program. We support regulators to develop world-class emissions standards and compliance programs, develop technical guidance on using emissions measurement/monitoring tools, and provide capacity training via webinar, in-person seminar or other forms to central and local environmental authorities.
