SHANGHAI—China plans to ban cars from streets in 108 cities in its first “No Car Day” on September 22, part of an effort to promote environment protection and ease congestion in the world’s second-largest auto market.

Streets in areas of Beijing, Shanghai and other cities will be open only to pedestrians, bicycles, taxis and buses from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the Ministry of Construction. September 22 is World Carfree Day, a United Nations-backed global campaign.

About 4.37 million new vehicles began using China’s roads in the first half as economic growth made cars and trucks affordable to more people. Growth in traffic helped China surpass the US as the world’s largest carbon-dioxide emitter last year.

TRAFFIC moves along one of the main arteries of the central business district of Beijing, China. China plans to ban cars from streets in 108 cities in its first “No Car Day” on September 22, part of an effort to promote environment protection and ease congestion in the world’s second-largest auto market. --BLOOMBERG

“No Car Day” will cut 3,000 tons of emissions and save 33 million liters of gasoline, according to the ministry.

Beijing has led efforts to cut pollution in China before it hosts the Olympics next year. The Chinese capital forced 1.3 million of its 3 million cars off the streets for four days last month. The ban cut congestion and pollution. Still, air quality remained short of World Health Organization guidelines, according to the city’s environmental bureau.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has said concerns about air pollution may lead to the postponement of the marathon and other endurance events at next summer’s games. The US plans to base its Olympic athletes in South Korea during the games to avoid exposure to the city’s smog.

China, the world’s second-biggest energy consumer, has “very serious” pollution problems and must strengthen the enforcement of environmental regulations, Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan told government officials on September 2.

The country has set a goal of cutting the energy consumed for each unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent in the five years to 2010. (Bloomberg)

HONDARRIBIA, Spain—“Stoppt die giftschulden” (German for “stop toxic debt”) was the resounding plea of public-health and environment activists in support of the Philippine civil-society campaign to halt payment for a controversial Austrian development aid package that included the shipment of 26 extremely dirty incinerators for medical waste.

Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Anna Theresa Licaros cried foul last week over accusations by Bayer CropScience that she and other petitioners who advocate GMO-free rice are “willing puppets” who “do not know a thing” about genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

CHICAGO—Poet LLC will become the largest US ethanol producer when it begins output at its Portland, Indiana, plant on September 18.

SHANGHAI—China plans to ban cars from streets in 108 cities in its first “No Car Day” on September 22, part of an effort to promote environment protection and ease congestion in the world’s second-largest auto market.