The Government has fully implemented all the motor vehicle emission control measures announced in 1999. Air quality in districts with heavy traffic has already improved. Compared with 1999, the roadside concentrations of the major air pollutant emissions from vehicles, namely respirable suspended particulates (RSP) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), had been reduced by 22% and 23% respectively in 2008. The number of smoky vehicles spotted has also been reduced by about 80%.
Notwithstanding the very substantial reduction in local emissions, the visibility has been deteriorating due to worsening of the regional background air quality, as shown in Figure 1 below. Smog has now become a common phenomenon for the entire PRD area.
Figure 1: Air Pollutants Emitted in Hong Kong and Reduced Visibility Trend
[Air Pollutants Emitted in Hong Kong]
# Percentage of Reduced Visibility refers to the percentage of time in a year with visibility less than 8 km and relative humidity not exceeding 80%, based on observations taken at the Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters.
To improve local and regional air quality, the Hong Kong SAR Government reached a consensus with Guangdong Provincial Government in April 2002 to reduce, on a best endeavour basis, the emission of four major air pollutants, sulphur dioxide (SO2), NOx, RSP and volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 40%, 20%, 55% and 55% respectively in the region by 2010, using 1997 as the base year. Achieving these targets will enable Hong Kong to meet our current AQOs, significantly improve the air quality of the PRD region and relieve the regional smog problem.
In December 2003, the two governments jointly drew up the PRD Regional Air Quality Management Plan (the "Management Plan") with a view to meeting the above emission reduction targets. The PRD Air Quality Management and Monitoring Special Panel was set up under the Hong Kong/Guangdong Joint Working Group on Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection (JWG) to follow up on the tasks under the Management Plan. The PRD Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network established under the Management Plan is now in full operation to provide comprehensive and accurate air quality data.
Progress of Reducing Emissions in Hong Kong
As a result of various emission reduction measures implemented in recent years, Hong Kong has achieved good progress in reducing the total emissions of NOx, RSP and VOC. For SO2, however, much of the effort has been vitiated by the increase in emissions from the power plants. Details are presented in the table below -
Table: Progress in Achieving the 2010 Emissions Reduction Targets
|
Pollutant
|
1997 Emission
(Tonnes)
|
2008 Emission
(Tonnes)
|
Change in Emission 1997 - 2008
|
2010 Reduction
Target (Reference to 1997)
|
|
|
66,200
|
57,400
|
-13%
|
-40%
|
|
NOx
|
124,000
|
88,000
|
-29%
|
-20%
|
|
RSP
|
11,500
|
5,290
|
-54%
|
-55%
|
|
VOC
|
68,800
|
34,400
|
-50%
|
-55%
|
Note: The emission levels for 2008 are preliminary figures.
We are making steady progress on the following additional local emission reduction measures -
- since April 2007, all pre-Euro diesel vehicles have to be installed with approved emission reduction devices. The Air Pollution Control (Emission Reduction Devices for Vehicles) Regulation requires that these devices must be kept in good working condition for reducing particulate emissions. Owners of vehicles failing to comply with the requirements will have their vehicle licences cancelled or refused for renewal upon expiry;
- we have enacted legislation requiring newly registered heavy vehicles to comply with Euro IV emission standards. The tightened emission requirement came into force on 1 October 2006;
- we are preparing for a proposal to strengthen the control of emissions from petrol and LPG vehicles including the use of roadside remote sensing equipment and the use of dynamometers for emission testings. Stakeholders will be consulted when the proposal is ready;
- we have enacted a regulation, effective on 1 April 2007, to impose maximum limits on the volatile organic compound content of paints, printing inks and selected consumers products, and mandate the installation of emission reduction device in certain printing machines;
- we launched on 1 April 2007 a new programme to provide one-off grant totalling HK$3.2 billion to encourage owners of 74,000 old diesel commercial vehicles to replace their old vehicles. If all the owners take up the offer, the emissions of RSP and NOx in Hong Kong will be reduced by 18% and 10% respectively;
- staring from 1 April 2007, we offer a 30% reduction in first registration tax to encourage the use of environment-friendly petrol private cars, subject to a ceiling of HK$50,000 per car;
-
we introduced amendments to the Air Pollution Control Ordinance to ensure a smooth, timely and transparent implementation of the emission caps for the power plants by stipulating the emission caps under the Ordinance and allowing power plants to use emissions trading as an alternative means for achieving the emission caps for 2010 and beyond;
-
we will mandate the use of liquid fuel with sulphur content of not more than 0.005% by weight in the commercial and industrial sectors;
-
we introduced on 28 April 2010 a bill to the Legislative Council to require drivers to switch off the engines while the vehicles are stationary;
-
on 1 December 2007, the Government offered a concessionary duty rate of $0.56 per litre for Euro V diesel, which has a sulphur content of 0.001%. Since then, all petrol filling stations in Hong Kong are exclusively offering this fuel. Starting from 14 July 2008, the duty rate for Euro V diesel has been waived to further encourage drivers to use this more environment-friendly fuel; and
-
starting from 1 April 2008, we offer reduction in first registration tax to encourage the use of environment-friendly commercial vehicles.
Electricity generation remains the biggest source of air pollution in Hong Kong. It accounts for 88% of the SO2, 44% of the NOx and 28% of the RSP emissions in 2008. As indicated in Figure 2 below, the SO2 emission by local power plants is highly correlated to the SO2 concentration in urban areas. Therefore, to achieve the 2010 emissions reduction targets, the power companies must substantially reduce their emissions.
Figure 2: SO2 Emitted by Power Companies and SO2 Levels in Urban Areas
[SO2 Emitted by Power Companies and SO2 Levels in Urban Areas]
In his Policy Address on 11 October 2006, the Chief Executive has re-affirmed that emission caps have been imposed on power plants at Castle Peak, Black Point and Lamma Island and will be progressively tightened to meet the 2010 emission reduction targets. He stressed again that the Government would not allow these firm targets to be compromised in any way. We require power plants to regularly review and update their pollution control technology by the best practicable means. To provide power companies with incentive to reduce their emissions and to improve the air quality, we introduce a mechanism in the Scheme of Control Agreements signed with the 2 power companies on 7 January 2008 in that the permitted rate of return of the power companies is linked to their emission performances against the emission caps.
The progress of emission reduction from power sector is as follows -
- on projects retrofitting emissions reduction devices, we granted the Environmental Permits on 25 April 2006 & 2 October 2007 for Hong Kong Electric Company Limited (HEC) to retrofit flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system to two 350 MW coal-fired units (units L4 and L5) and one 250 MW coal-fired unit (unit L2) in Lamma Power Station. For CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP), we granted the Environmental Permit on 10 November 2006 for its retrofit project of FGD and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to four 677 MW coal-fired units (units B1 to B4) in Castle Peak Power Station;
- on the latest progress, the first phase of retrofit of HEC's 350 MW coal-fired unit was completed in July 2009 and the second phase of retrofit for one 350 MW and one 250 MW unit will be completed in mid-2010. For CLP, the retrofit of their four 677 MW coal-fired units are scheduled for completion between 2009 and 2011;
- on the wider use of natural gas, HEC commissioned its first gas-fired unit by end June 2006 and put it into commercial operation in October 2006. The overall emissions from HEC is reduced after the full operation of this gas-fired unit. In August 2008, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Co-operation with the National Energy Administration to enable and increase in the use of natural gas for power generation; and
- on promoting renewable energy, HEC commissioned the first local commercial scale wind power station on Lamma Island in February 2006. Both power companies are studying the development of offshore wind-farms in the Hong Kong waters with Environmental Permit granted to CLP for the development on 4 August 2009. Besides, the new Scheme of Control Agreements have provided for a higher rate of return of 11% for their investment in renewable energy facilities; a bonus in the range of 0.01% to 0.05% in permitted return depending on the extent of renewable energy usage in their electricity generation; grid connection arrangement will be standardised for back up power supply for customers with embedded renewable generation.
Cooperation with the Mainland
Cross-boundary cooperation in environmental protection featured prominently in the 12th Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference held in Guangzhou on 19 August 2009, both sides reaffirmed their determination to achieve the jointly agreed emission reduction targets by 2010.
The latest progress of the Hong Kong SAR Government (HKSARG) and the Guangdong Provincial Government in implementing enhanced control measures under the Pearl River Delta (PRD) Regional Air Quality Management Plan (Management Plan) is set out in Annex (http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/action_blue_sky/files/Annex09eng.pdf). The key initiatives being implemented by the Guangdong Province include -
- establishing a diversified clean energy production and supply system, including development of gas-fired power plants and transmission of electricity from the western provinces;
- requiring all large-scale thermal power generating units to carry out flue gas desulphurization;
- requiring thermal power plants to install continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) with instant on-line access by local authorities;
- requiring all thermal power plants that are under construction, alteration or expansion to carry out flue gas denitrification;
- tightening the emission standards of air pollutants for thermal power plants;
- closing down small thermal power plants and other serious polluting industries (including cement plants and iron and steel plants with low production capacity);
- stepping up annual inspections and on-road spot checks on vehicles;
- restricting the growth of motorcycles at key cities;
- implementing an environment labeling pilot system for vehicles at key cities, so that vehicles of specific categories are restricted from using the roads when the ambient air quality is bad;
- launching a policy for subsidizing the replacement of yellow-label vehicles (i.e., petrol vehicles with pre-National emission standard or below and diesel vehicles with National II emission standard or below) with new vehicles;
- constructing metro expressway systems and developing green transportation;
- enhancing technological improvement at enterprises and promoting cleaner production;
- requiring newly registered motor vehicles in PRD Region to comply with the National III standards (which are on a par with the Euro III standards);
- supplying the National III standard motor fuels to PRD Region; and
- implementing comprehensive vapour recovery system at petrol filling stations, oil depots and tanker trucks at major PRD cities.
To assess the effectiveness of the various measures in the Management Plan, both sides jointly completed a Mid-term Review of the Management Plan (Review) in December 2007. The findings concluded that the preventive and control measures being implemented by both sides under the Management Plan helped reduce substantially air pollutant emissions in the region.
In April 2010, the PRD Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network jointly set up by the two governments published the monitoring results for 2009. The concentration levels of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide decreased by 26% and 7% respectively in 2009 as compared to the 2008 levels amidst continuing growth of the economy in the region in 2009. These reductions are attributable to implementation of enhanced emission reduction measures being implemented by both sides. The report is available at the websites of the environmental protection departments of the two sides.
Separately, both sides launched the implementation framework of the Emissions Trading Pilot Scheme for Thermal Power Plants in the PRD Region (Pilot Scheme) in January 2007. A joint panel has also been set up in the same year to oversee the operation of the Pilot Scheme.
To strengthen collaboration further, the two sides signed the Environmental Co-operation Agreement at the Hong Kong - Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference on August 19. Both sides agreed to, inter alia, undertake a joint study on the post-2010 air emission reduction arrangements for the region and will strive to complete the study in 2010.
In addition, the HKSAR Government has been collaborating with the Economic and Information Commission of Guangdong Province on promoting energy efficiency and cleaner production to the industrial enterprises in both places. In August 2007, the two governments signed the “Cooperation Agreement to Promote Energy Efficiency, Cleaner Production and Comprehensive Utilisation of Resources to Enterprises in Hong Kong and Guangdong”. Both sides also jointly conducted a series of promotion activities, technical exchanges and demonstration projects on cleaner production by industrial enterprises, and launched a five-year the “Cleaner Production Partnership Programme” in April 2008 to encourage Hong Kong-owned factories operating in the PRD region to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices, with a view to reducing emissions and enhancing energy efficiency. In addition, both sides jointly launched the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme in August 2009 to recognize and encourage the continued efforts of Hong Kong businesses in pursuing cleaner production. A presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme was held in Guangzhou in November 2009 to award commendation to the first batch of Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners.
Review of Air Quality Objectives
The WHO announced in October 2006 an updated set of Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs). The new AQGs provide a scientific basis for supporting the development of air quality policies and management strategies in various parts of the world to protect human health. Owing to the stringency of the new AQGs, the WHO has recommended interim targets in the new guidelines for countries to improve their air quality progressively.
WHO clearly points out that the actual air quality standards set in each country will vary according to the approach adopted for balancing health risks, technological feasibility, economic considerations and various other political and social factors. It also advises that governments should consider their own local circumstances carefully before adopting the new AQGs as statutory standards.
Since the new WHO AQGs are much more stringent than our current AQOs, achieving the new WHO AQGs in Hong Kong is a challenging task demanding very drastic measures to be taken not only in Hong Kong but also the PRD region over the long term.
The emission reduction measures required will include the extensive use of cleaner power generation technologies and fuels, cleaner mass-transit and transportation systems, cleaner production technologies, and highly efficient energy saving technologies. Some of the cleaner production and energy saving technologies required may be very costly or are still being developed overseas. Adopting these measures will have far reaching impact on a wide range of policy areas including energy, transportation, industrial production, urban planning, conservation and people's way of life.
To draw up a new set of AQOs for Hong Kong and devise a long-term plan for meeting such new AQOs, we need not only detailed information on required specific measures, their implications and available options, but also full public participation. It is therefore necessary to conduct an in-depth and detailed study to provide the required information and analysis. As such, the Government commissioned a comprehensive study in 2007 to review Hong Kong's AQOs and develop a long-term air quality management strategy, followed by thorough public consultation. The study and public consultation were completed in 2009.
For details, please see Review of Air Quality Objectives