Sulphur dioxide rises quarterly

BEIJING - China's emissions of sulphur dioxide have seen the first quarterly rise in three years, despite its great efforts to cut its level of greenhouse gas emissions.

Zhou Shengxian, minister of environmental protection, said last week that there was a 1.2-percent increase in sulphur dioxide emissions in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year.

The rise will certainly increase pressure on the country to meet its goal of cutting emissions in 2010, the minister said.