Traffic restrictions associated with the Sino‐African summit: Reductions of NOx detected from space

Aggressive measures were instituted by the Beijing municipal authorities to restrict vehicular traffic in the Chinese capital during the recent Sino‐African Summit. We show that reductions in associated emissions of NO x were detected by the Dutch‐Finnish Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard the Aura satellite. Interpretation of these data using a 3‐dimensional chemical transport model indicates that emissions of NO x were reduced by 40% over the period of November 4 to 6, 2006, for which the restrictions were in place.