The Pakistani government has said that it will stop the country’s refineries supplying to local retailers if they do not begin producing Euro-2 standard fuel within the next two years. The announcement follows a similar move made by the government on the car companies last year, which were also forced to upgrade their fuel standards.
The Euro-2 standard limits the amount of sulphur emitted by a fuel, and thus lowers its carbon emissions. “Refineries like the National Refinery Limited and the Attock Refinery Limited should be forced to shut down as they are reluctant to invest in setting up plants that can be used to upgrade their products,†said an official from the country’s ministry for petroleum.
At present, only 40% of Pakistan’s oil producers meet the Euro-2 standard. Imports, which represent 54% of the country’s total consumption, are complaint.