Manila - Developing countries in Asia should raise their vehicle emission standards to the levels of Japan, Europe and Asia to protect public health and quality of life in urban areas, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) study urged Thursday.

The report, A Roadmap for Cleaner Fuels and Vehicles in Asia, recommended steps to improve fuel quality and vehicle emissions for creating better air quality in the region.

The Manila-based bank noted that vehicle emissions continue to pose a significant threat to the environment and lives of Asia's urban population.

It warned that if no action was taken to clean up fuels and vehicles, urban air quality would continue to decline as emissions in many Asian countries were expected to increase over the next few decades due to rapid increase in vehicle population.

"Cleaner fuels will play an important role in reducing vehicle emissions and improving urban air quality in Asia," the report said. "Fuel specifications influence emissions but they also influence driveability, engine-wear, and fuel efficiency, which are also important in terms of greenhouse gas emissions."

The report recommended that sulfur in gasoline and diesel is reduced to enable the use of advanced emission control technologies, which would enable Asia to adopt vehicle emission standards similar to those in Japan, Europe and the United States.

It added that there were no technical obstacles to producing cleaner fuels in Asia, adding that this would be cost-effective and would have large economic benefits because of the health benefits associated with the positive impact on air quality. (dpa)