THE southern island province of Hainan’s goal of becoming China’s first region to halt sales of new fossil-fuel vehicles marks a landmark step in the country’s efforts to decarbonise the transportation sector and is also part of Hainan’s push to build a “green” province.

According to the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Hainan National Ecological Civilisation Pilot Zone – released recently by the provincial government – the province will “smoothly advance” the ban on sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030.