|
Press Release
EPD response on magazine report regarding local air quality
In response to media enquiries on a magazine report regarding local air quality, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department reiterated today (May 8) that improvement of air quality tops the Government's environmental agenda.
"The Government is determined to achieve the emission reduction targets agreed with Guangdong for 2010, through local emission reduction measures and co-operation with Guangdong," he said, noting that the Chief Executive, in his Policy Address, had made it clear that Hong Kong, as Asia's world city, could not tolerate foul air.
"Air quality is a serious issue not only for Hong Kong but the whole Pearl River Delta (PRD), given the rapid growth in urbanisation and industrial activities and the associated air pollution in the region," he added.
To improve air quality, the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments have agreed, by the year 2010, to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), respirable suspended particulates (RSP) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) respectively by 40%, 20%, 55% and 55% from 1997 emission levels.
"Compared with 1997, Hong Kong has made good progress in cutting the emissions of NOx (down 16%), RSP (down 28%) and VOC (down 23%). For SO2, however, much of the effort has been offset by the increase in emissions by the power plants. The current SO2 emission is 47% higher than the 1997 level," the spokesman said.
Power companies are the biggest source of air pollution in Hong Kong accounting for 92% of the SO2 and half of the NOx and RSP emissions.
The spokesman said the department had asked the power companies to accelerate the timing of emission reduction projects, increase the use of ultra-low sulphur coal and use natural gas for power generation as much as possible. At the same time, the Government will progressively tighten the emission caps on the power companies to ensure that the 2010 emission reduction targets are met.
"For the new Scheme of Control, the Government has proposed to link the permitted rate of return on all fixed assets of the power companies to their achievement of the emission caps. This will provide the necessary economic incentive for power companies to reduce emissions," he added.
"Since 1999, we have implemented a comprehensive vehicular emissions reduction programme, which has reduced about 80% of the particulates and 40% of the nitrogen oxides (Nox) emitted by motor vehicles in the urban area. At the roadside, the RSP and NOx levels were reduced by 14% and 17% respectively in 2005 as compared with the 1999 levels. The number of smoky vehicles has also been reduced by about 80%", the spokesman said.
"This year, we will introduce further measures to improve air quality. We are introducing Euro IV emission standards to newly registered vehicles, and a scheme to control volatile organic compounds emissions from various products," he said.
Noting that community participation was very important for the successful control of air pollution, the spokesman said the department would continue to appeal to drivers to exercise self-discipline by switching off idling engines and had instructed all government drivers to do so.
"Also, we have been actively educating the public on energy saving by raising the air-conditioned room temperate from 22.5 degrees Celsius to 25.5 degrees Celsius and the Government will cut electricity consumption of its office buildings by 1.5% in 2006," he said.
To reduce vehicle emissions by franchised buses, the Government and the franchised bus companies have been taking various initiatives including rationalisation of bus routes and stops, introduction of bus-bus interchange schemes to reduce bus trips, deployment of environmentally-friendly buses on busy corridors, installation of emission reduction devices on franchised buses and inclusion of new clauses in the bus franchises on the use of environmentally-friendly buses.
"We will work closely with the franchised bus companies to continue with these measures," the spokesman said.
On the regional front, EPD is co-operating with the Guangdong Provincial Government on a plan to meet the emission reduction targets.
For the power generation industry in Guangdong, four new liquefied natural gas power plants are expected to be commissioned in phases which will substantially reduce the reliance on the polluting fuel oil and coal, and all major coal-fired power plants in the Pearl River Delta Guangdong Province will be equipped with flue gas desulphurisation by end 2007. On motor vehicles, the Guangdong Provincial Government will strive to advance the implementation of National III motor vehicle emission standards (on a par with Euro III ones) in the PRD cities.
"Hong Kong and Guangdong will continue to strengthen technical exchanges, especially on continuous emissions monitoring of stationary pollution sources and commissioning studies on regional air pollution. A joint air quality monitoring station network has been set up which reports on the Regional Air Quality Index to the public on a daily basis," the spokesman said.
On conservation, Hong Kong spares no efforts in greening our cities. In the past three years, we have planted some 7.3 million trees in urban areas and country parks.
"Over the last three decades, we have been implementing a continuous programme of conservation with the launching of designation of country parks in 1976. To-date, about 48,200 hectares, or 43% of Hong Kong's total land area are protected through various conservation designations such as country parks, special areas and conservation zonings. This compares favourably with other cities/places at a similar stage of economic development," the spokesman said.
End/Monday, May 8, 2006
| 
