China's new fuel standard
Under pressure, Sinopec launches cleaner Beijing Six gasoline
After years of foot-dragging, China's Sinopec began supplying Beijing with its new lower-emission Beijing Six grade of petrol and diesel during February. The capital's residents should breathe a little more freely. A breakthrough for China, the fuel is considered a world-class standard that draws on technology from the EU and US. "Beijing Six promises tremendous emission reductions for all types of conventional pollutants," notes the G20-funded consultancy, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The fuel is certainly a major advance on China Five, the current standard that is still being rolled out elsewhere in the country and is due to be available everywhere by the end of 20
Also in this section
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution
