Environmental Protection Department - Environmental Performance Report 2005

To achieve and maintain satisfactory air quality through intervention in the planning process and enforcement of the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance and other statutory requirements.

Air Quality in 2004

The EPD operates 14 air quality monitoring stations to monitor compliance with Air Quality Objectives (AQOs). See map at Figure 1.

Air quality deteriorated in 2004 due to a combination of increasing regional pollution and unfavourable weather conditions. Annual AQOs were exceeded at most stations due to high particulate levels. Table 1 sets out the compliance status of long-term (Annual) Air Quality Objectives for various monitoring stations in 2004.

Non-compliance with short-term AQOs can best be represented by the frequency at which the Air Pollution Index exceeds 100. In 2004, the Air Pollution Index exceeded 100 on 87 days.

The Hong Kong and Guangdong administrations are working together to address the growing problem of regional air pollution. Ambitious targets have been set to reduce levels of four major air pollutants and enable Hong Kong to largely comply with our Air Quality Objectives by 2010. The targets can be met if all areas of an agreed plan of action can be carried out. The plan involves reducing emissions from power plants, industry and motor vehicles. In 2004 the following was achieved:

1.	A regional joint air quality monitoring network was in place, ready to start operating in mid-2005. 16 stations have been set up, including 3 in Hong Kong.
2.	A manual on the agreed standards for compiling emissions inventories was completed.
3.	Technical exchanges with Guangdong continued, thereby enhancing understanding and knowledge on both sides. The EPD was also closely involved in the setting up of the Guangdong Province Quality Assurance Laboratory to support the Guangdong Province air quality monitoring network.
4.	Discussions were underway between Hong Kong, Guangdong and the Hong Kong power companies on a pilot emissions trading scheme.
5.	The Hong Kong SAR Government undertook negotiations with the local power plants on reducing emissions and energy consumption.
6.	Hong Kong continued with its programmes to reduce motor vehicle emissions and volatile organic compounds (see below).

Guangdong has also taken a number of steps to reduce emissions. It has adopted Euro II standards for new vehicles, reduced the sulphur content of motor diesel fuel from 0.5% to 0.2% or less, started building subways and liquefied natural gas plants, and started installing flue gas desulphurisation systems to electricity generating units with a capacity of more than 125 megawatts.

Motor Vehicle Emissions

Significant success has been achieved in controlling motor vehicle emissions. New vehicles have to meet Euro III standards and we will update to Euro IV by 2006. Automotive fuels will meet Euro IV standards in 2005. For existing vehicles, a $1.4 billion package was announced in 1999 to address emissions. As a result of these measures, nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions from motor vehicles have decreased, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2 -

Territory wide motor vehicle pollutant emissions

Weight units in tonnes

Normalized Emission

Year / Pollutants

NOx

1999

3 900

27 500

100%

2000

3 590

27 800

92%

101%

2001

3 040

26 300

78%

96%

2002

2 800

25 500

72%

93%

2003

2 090

20 100

54%

73%

In 2004 progress was made in the following areas:

In addition, the EPD organised a Motor Vehicle Emissions Control Workshop 2004 in December to promote exchanges of technology and experiences. Participants came from the Mainland, the United States and elsewhere in Asia.

A mandatory registration and labelling scheme for volatile organic compounds went out for public consultation in 2004, with the aim of using market forces to control the problem. Also, a regulation to require petrol filling stations to install and operate vapour recovery systems for vehicle re-fuelling was gazetted in December 2004 and will be implemented by the end of 2005.

Advice: The EPD provides professional advice in the strategic, land use and transportation planning processes. In 2004 we provided 751 pieces of air planning advice; a breakdown can be seen in Figure 2 - Statistics of Air Planning Advice 2004.

Regional ozone standard: In 2004 the department introduced a sophisticated standard reference photometer (SRP), obtained from the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the United States. It is being used as a regional calibration standard for ozone measurement. Environmental authorities in Macau, Beijing and Guangdong have also checked their ozone calibrators against our SRP.

CFCs: A voluntary programme was launched to promote CFC-free treatment inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The programme has received widespread support from stakeholders, and the public health care sector is working progressively to adopt non-CFC replacements. Separately, a reduced quota for local consumption of HCFCs was successfully launched during the year.

Indoor air: A voluntary Indoor Air Quality Certification scheme that was introduced in September 2003 has seen six sites achieve "Excellent Class" and 46 sites "Good Class".

Government initiative: The Environment, Transport and Works Bureau required all Government offices to set their air-conditioning thermostats at 25.5 degrees Celsius.


	5	Our Contribution to the Environment
		5.2 Planning for a Better Environment