South Korea said Wednesday that it will strengthen vehicle emissions control by 2020 in order to meet global standards for greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will lower the carbon dioxide emissions target to 97 grams per kilometer for the 2016-2020 period, from the 140 grams per kilometer target for the 2012-2015 span.

In terms of fuel consumption, the 2020 target is equivalent to 24.3 kilometers per liter, compared with the 17 kilometers per liter standard five years ago.

The new targets are comparable with Europe’s 2021 target of 91 grams per kilometer and Japan’s 100 grams per kilometer, according to the ministries.

Car manufacturers must comply with either CO2 emissions or fuel economy standards by 2020.

The plan came as the country earlier postponed the introduction of a vehicle carbon emissions tax by 2020 on strong protests by the automotive industry but promised to tighten the average vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency standards to similar levels as in Europe and Japan. (Yonhap)