Polluters will face increased fees in Beijing

The Chinese capital will impose a new fee on the discharge of volatile organic compounds, targeting the city's industrial enterprises that release the pollutants.

It's part of an attempt to raise the companies' awareness of the cost of pollution and the importance of cleaning up their act, officials said.

Based on the environmental cost of the pollution, the levy will be higher than the current discharge levy on sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide, the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau said.