The country's first emission standard for coalbed methane will take effect in July, the newly created Ministry of Environmental Protection said Monday in a statement.

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas that traps 20 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2).

The standard makes it illegal for coalbed methane and other mine gases that comprise more than 30 percent CH4 to be discharged into the air.

Industries that create methane gas should either sell it to firms that can make use of the fuel or burn it to avoid emissions, the ministry suggested.

"This is the world's first compulsory measure for the control of CH4," the statement, published on the ministry's website, said.

"It shows China is making a serious effort to tackle the problem of global warming."

The standard will help reduce emissions of CH4 by 2.5 cu m a year, which is equivalent to about 37 million tons of carbon dioxide, the statement said.

Due to the current limitations in technology, only mine gases with a high concentration of methane can be processed and used commercially, which is why the standard applies only to those types of gases, the statement said.

As new technologies are developed, however, the ministry will consider updating the standard for methane control, it said.

As well as the CH4 control measure, the Ministry of Environmental Protection issued three other standards on Monday.

These relate to effluents from plants that produce certain types of pesticides, pollution control at landfill sites made up of solid waste, and limits and measuring methods for exhaust emissions from vehicles driven by gasoline.

(China Daily April 15, 2008)