Press release

ICCT’s China representative office registered

On May 14, 2018, the International Council on Clean Transportation completed the legal registration of its China representative office and received its legal certificate from the Beijing Bureau of Public Security.

On Jan 1, 2017, China enacted the Law on the Administration of Activities of Overseas Nongovernmental Organizations in the Mainland of China (Overseas NGO Law or the Law). Per the Law, foreign NGO must obtain legal registration or a one-time permit for conducting activities in mainland China. The Law also requires foreign NGOs to be supervised by relevant, eligible Chinese governmental units (professional supervisory agency) for all activities.

The ICCT’s representative office is supervised by the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE). The agency was recently re-organized and given expanded regulatory responsibilities for the nation’s ecological and environmental protection and improvement, as well as greenhouse gas emissions management. The ICCT is one of the few foreign NGOs approved by the Ministry so far. Under the supervision of MEE, the ICCT will perform the following activities within the territory of mainland China:

  • Conduct policy-oriented research work on mobile source emissions control, GHG emissions reduction, in order to improve urban air quality and protect public health
  • Promote and coordinate international cooperation and collaboration in the mobile source emission areas
  • Support capacity building of Chinese agencies in the mobile source emission management
  • Organize and facilitate training, workshops and conferences, and other forms of events in the above areas

The ICCT has supported clean transportation policies in China for over a decade. Since the mid-2000s, the ICCT has led and implemented numerous independent studies aiming at phasing in ultra-low sulfur fuel and cleanest emissions and efficiency standards for cars, trucks and other mobile equipment. Over that time the ICCT has built deep trust and collaboration with China’s former Ministry of Environmental Protection and local environmental bureaus including those in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangdong province. Our recent research work provided strong support in the development of the China 6 vehicle emission standard, making China one of the leading regions in new-vehicle emission control.

Today, China is facing unprecedented challenges but also offering tremendous opportunities in cleaning up its urban air quality and reducing energy consumption and GHG impact. Mobile sources account for a significant share of air pollution, according to latest air-quality source analyses in major cities.

Mobile source contribution to PM2.5 concentration in various Chinese cities.

The Xi administration has shown strongest determination, ever, in fighting against air pollution and planned for a number of core “battles” including one specially against emissions from diesel vehicles and engines.

This milestone for our China representative office is a key to enabling collaborations with Chinese decision-making agencies and other core stakeholders to move forward various mobile source emission policies. We are confident that it will have a profound impact on our future China strategies and activities.

Staff contact: Hui He, hui@theicct.org

China