Existing coal- and oil-fired power plants must reduce average emission levels of the least 12% of current plants.

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That change, called the Maximum Achievable Control Technology, or MACT, rule requires that coal- and oil-fired power plants reduce pollutant emission rates significantly.

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An executive order signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in June 2005 established short- and long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduce targets for California: to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

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This is a remarkable saving, and although she is a small, specialist vessel, many of her features, particularly the new bow and the more efficient system of propellers, could help reduce fuel consumption and emission levels in larger ships as well.

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But for the CDM to provide that link, countries will have to reduce their greenhouse-gas emission targets drastically, thus providing a boost to demand.

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His ministry's calculations, which predate China's announcement, allegedly show that such emission-curbing steps could reduce the carbon intensity of India's economy by around 25% by 2020 compared with 2005 levels.

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The government says it has tried to reduce emissions of nitrogen dioxide through tax breaks and subsidies for low emission vehicles.

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Extensions to such power stations' lives were originally agreed in order to meet anticipated power shortages and to reduce the use of fossil fuels to help meet different countries' carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions commitments.

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