Milestones in Hong Kong Environmental Protection - 2018

2018

Air

  • Completed a review of AQOs.
  • Passed legislation requiring new non-road vehicles to meet the same emission standards as vehicles on the street.
  • Announced stricter requirements on the sulphur content of fuel for ocean-going vessels in local waters.
  • Tightened qualifying standards for environment-friendly commercial ve­hicles to receive tax breaks.

 

Noise

  • Resurfaced 76 local road sections with low-noise road surfacing materials by the end of 2018, benefiting 134 000 people.
  • Retrofitted noise barriers at 17 existing road sections, benefiting about 56 000 people by the end of 2018. Began retrofitting works at three other sections.

 

Water

  • Achieved 100% compliance with Water Quality Objectives at all 41 gazetted beaches.
  • Revamped the Interdepartmental Working Group on Clean Shorelines into the Interdepartmental Working Group on Marine Environmental Management, to reflect its wider focus.
  • Took action to reduce near-shore pollution and enhance the quality of the coastal waters of Victoria Harbour.

 

Environmental Assessment

  • Approved the Environmental Impact Assessment reports for the Hong Kong Offshore Liquefied Natural Gas terminal, Lei Yue Mun Waterfront Enhancement Project and other major projects.
  • Provided environmental advice on “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030” and other strategic studies.
  • Vetted the environmental implications of 303 funding and policy proposals submitted to the Executive Council, Legislative council and other important bodies.
  • Continued to organise an exchange and attachment programme with the Appraisal Centre for Environment and Engineering under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment to foster connections and collaborations between Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland.

 

Environmental Compliance

  • Implemented the Mandatory Producer Responsibility Scheme on waste electrical and electronic equipment.
  • Deployed surveillance camera systems to about 70 illegal waste disposal black spots by the end of the year.
  • Stepped up enforcement control against noise nuisance generated by shops when promoting their wares.

 

Waste Reduction

  • Continued to facilitate the scrutiny of the amendment bill on MSW charging by the Legislative Council.
  • Partnered with some 20 organisations to conduct MSW charging trial projects in such sectors as public rental housing estates, rural areas, shopping malls and the catering trade.
  • Earmarked additional funding to be spent annually on strengthening waste reduction and recycling, starting from 2019-20.
  • Continued to provide funding support for Community Involvement Projects by non-profit-making organisations that focus on MSW charging. By the end of 2018, more than 80 projects had received a total of $75 million via the Environment and Conservation Fund.
  • Implemented a new PRS on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The WEEE treatment and recycling facility, WEEE·PARK, was developed and commenced full operation in 2018 to underpin the PRS on WEEE.
  • Opened the Organic Resources Recovery Centre Phase 1 (O·PARK1) to receive food waste from the commercial and industrial sector for recycling and turning into energy and compost.
  • Launched a pilot programme to provide 90 primary and secondary schools with small food waste composters and education kits.
  • Opened two new Community Green Stations (CGSs) in Tuen Mun and Kwai Tsing.

 

Waste Facilities

  • Commissioned Hong Kong’s first O·PARK to treat food waste from the commercial and industrial sector.
  • Opened the WEEE·PARK to treat this waste and turn it into reusable materials.
  • Proceeded with building food waste pre-treatment facilities for co-digestion with sewage sludge at the Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works.
  • Set up a temporary yard waste shredding facility to handle the large quantities of felled trees that resulted from Super Typhoon Mangkhut as well as other yard waste.
  • Received a Merit Award for T·PARK in the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects Design Awards.
  • Continued with design and construction works for the Integrated Waste Management Facility, which will open in 2024.
  • Commenced construction of the extension of the Southeast New Territories Landfill and continued with construction of a landfill gas utilisation plant at the West New Territories Landfill.

 

Energy

  • Tightened energy efficiency standards in the Building Energy Code by 18% compared with those in 2012.
  • Accelerated tax deductions for renewable energy and energy-efficient installations in buildings.
  • Reduced electricity consumption in Government buildings by 4.9% compared with 2015-16.
  • Added five new types of products to the Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme.
  • Launched the Energy Saving for All 2018 Campaign.
  • Announced programmes to be implemented under the new SCAs to take effect from 1 October 2018 and 1 January 2019.

 

Nature Conservation

  • Established the Countryside Conservation Office (CCO) to co-ordinate and promote countryside conservation and revitalisation.
  • Conducted a study to formulate proposals for enhancing the recreation and education potential of country parks and special areas.
  • Continued implementing a three-step plan to phase out the ivory trade and increase penalties for illicit trade in endangered species.
  • Continued implementing the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2021.
  • Continued pursuing an exceptional, non-in-situ land exchange proposal to protect the ecologically significant Sha Lo Tung site, and identified suitable minor improvement works at Sha Lo Tung and Lai Chi Wo.

 

Building Partnership

  • Collaborated with the Hong Kong Construction Association to produce a trip-ticket guide for construction and demolition waste from private works projects.
  • Conducted 52 environmental building audits for Quality Building Management Competitions in Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon City and Kwun Tong districts.
  • Visited about 50 vehicle repair workshops to promote good environmental practices.
  • Implemented a plan with other Government departments to reduce air quality nuisance from ritual burning.

 

Community Awareness

  • Launched the Reusable Tableware Lending Programme for organisers of large events, as well as a promotion to encourage the public to use plastic-free, reusable tableware.
  • Organised the Zero Waste Fun Fair to celebrate World Environment Day, and the Green Lunar New Year Fairs Programme.
  • Provided more than $216 million to support 174 community-initiated projects through the Environment and Conservation Fund.
  • Received 2 034 entries for the 2018 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence and Hong Kong Green Innovation Awards, and honoured 201 winners from 2017.
  • Welcomed more than 122 000 visitors to the Fanling, Wan Chai and Mobile Environmental Resources Centre and the Lung Fu Shan Environmental Education Centre, as well as 288 000 to the five Community Green Stations.
  • Enrolled more than 10 100 students in the Schools Environmental Protection Ambassador Scheme and awarded 59 schools with the Hong Kong Green School Award.

 

Sustainable Development

  • Supported the SDC in preparing to engage the public on a long-term decarbonisation strategy for Hong Kong.
  • Awarded a total $6.5 million to seven projects in the 13th round of applications under the Sustainable Development Fund.
  • Selected the best five proposals for the Proposal Award under the Sustainable Development Promotion Award for Students of Higher Education Institutions.

 

Cross-boundary And International Co-operation

  • Invited the Council for Sustainable Development to launch a public engagement exercise on Hong Kong’s long-term decarbonisation strategy.
  • Launched the Low Carbon Living Calculator.
  • Introduced controls on short-chain chlorinated paraffins and tributyltin compounds to the Hazardous Chemicals Control Ordinance, in accordance with the listing of those chemicals in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention.
  • Jointly established a science team with Guangdong to launch a study on post-2020 regional air pollutants emission reduction targets and concentration levels for Hong Kong and Guangdong.
  • Completed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Regional PM2.5 Study.
  • Held meetings with regional counterparts from Shenzhen and Macao.
  • Organised an environmental technology workshop on the regional movement of hazardous waste for the Pan Pearl River Delta Regional Environmental Co-operation Joint Conference.