Environmental Performance Report 2005
Environmental Protection Department
| Contents
| Previous | Next
| EPD Homepage |
| Foreword | 1 Environmental
Policy | 2 Organisation, Programmes and Responsibilities
| 3 EPD Offices and Facilities | 4
Our Influence and Impact on the Environment | 5
Our Contribution to the Environment | 6 Our
Own Operations | 7 Progress on Year 2004 Targets
| 8 Targets for 2005 | 9
Verification Statement | 10 Feedback Form
|
| 5.1 Our Contribution to Strategic Decision-Making | 5.2 Planning for a Better Environment | 5.3 Effective Enforcement and Emergency Response | 5.4 Building Partnerships and Customer Service | 5.5 Environmental Awareness and Education | 5.6 Professional Development and Research |
5
Our Contribution to the Environment
5.2 Planning for a Better Environment
| Our Responsibilities | Air Quality in 2004 | Achievements in 2004 | 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 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. Figure
1 - Location of EPD's Air Quality Monitoring Stations.
Achievements
in 2004 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:
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. 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.
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. Photo of Mr Roy Tang, Deputy Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, addresses the audience at the Motor Vehicle Emissions Control Workshop 2004 held in Hong Kong in December. 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. Figure 2 – Statistics of Air Planning Advice (i) – Statistics of Air Planning Advice in 2004 - Breakdown by types (See Data) (ii) - Yearly Statistics of Air Planning Advice (See Data) 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. |
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