Milestones in Hong Kong Environmental Protection - 2019

2019

Air

  • Completed a three-month public consultation on the proposed tightening of AQOs.
  • Required marine vessels to use low sulphur marine fuel in local waters.
  • Tightened emission caps for power plants effective 2024.
  • Tightened emission standards for newly approved non-road vehicles.
  • Implemented new indoor air quality objectives (IAQs) for the IAQ Certification Scheme for Offices and Public Places.


Noise

  • Completed resurfacing 88 local road sections with low-noise road surfacing materials, benefiting 142 000 people.
  • Completed retrofitting noise barriers at 18 road sections, benefitting 58 000 people, and began work on another two road sections.


Water

  • Invested $57 billion in sewage infrastructure from 1990-2019, including $2 billion in 2018-19 alone.
  • Achieved 100% compliance with WQOs at all 41 gazetted beaches.
  • Co-ordinated and organised more than 110 local shoreline clean-up activities.
  • Organised the first joint coastal clean-up effort with Guangdong authorities.


Environmental Assessment

  • Applied smart technologies to facilitate EPD’s services, including the development of a 3D Geographic Information System (GIS) and a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) immersive visualisation.
  • Approved EIA reports for Shuen Wan Golf Course and Yuen Long Effluent Polishing Plant.
  • Provided environmental advice on “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030” and other strategic studies
  • Vetted the environmental implications of 290 funding and policy proposals submitted to the Executive Council, Legislative Council and other important bodies.
  • Organised training courses and refresher sessions on the EIA process for professionals and stakeholders.
  • Fostered EIA exchange and collaboration with Chinese Mainland, held working meetings with Guangdong’s Department of Ecology and Environment and EIA authorities from the Greater Bay Area, and participated in attachment programmes with the national Ministry of Ecology and Environment and Macao Environmental Protection Bureau.


Environmental Compliance

  • Inspected more than 1 200 imported waste containers, up more than 50% over 2018. More than 130 containers of illegally imported waste were intercepted, up more than 70% over 2018.
  • Completed 61 prosecutions involving illegal waste imports and exports, against 43 prosecutions completed in 2018.
  • Increased the number of air pollution abatement notices issued to waste plastics recycling yards to 17, compared with 3 in 2018.


Waste Reduction

  • Continued to heighten awareness of MSW charging, including the launch of the “Dump Less, Save More” campaign to promote waste reduction and the establishment of new outreach teams (currently known as “Green Outreach”) to provide on-site assistance in waste reduction and recycling in the community.
  • Extended glass container collection and treatment services and launched the Glass Container Recycling Charter.
  • Continued to review the Plastic Shopping Bag Charging Scheme with a view to improve its effectiveness and prepare for launching a public consultation on the way forward.
  • Pressed ahead with the preparation for a new producer responsibility scheme on plastic beverage containers.
  • Commenced a technical trial on the application of reverse vending machines (RVMs) in the collection of waste plastic beverage containers.
  • Through the Recycling Fund, provided rental support to recyclers and launched a new scheme to support new and start-up recycling enterprises.
  • Collaborated with the retail trade to explore practical measures to reduce the use of plastic packaging materials.


Waste Facilities

  • Awarded the contract to design, build and operate O·PARK2 to scale up the recycling capacity of food waste; the target commissioning date is 2022.
  • Commissioned pre-treatment facilities for a trial scheme for co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge at the Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works and began investigation and design work for similar facilities at Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works.
  • Received a Merit Award for the T·PARK in the 2019 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE).
  • Continued with the design and construction works for the Integrated Waste Management Facilities (I·PARK), which will open in 2025.
  • Continued with construction works for the extension of Southeast New Territories (SENT) Landfill and a landfill gas utilisation plant at the West New Territories (WENT) Landfill.


Energy

  • Pursued legislative amendments to exempt individual participants in the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Scheme from applying for business registration and paying profits tax in respect of FiT payments.
  • Introduced Solar Harvest to install solar energy generation systems for free for schools and welfare organisations.
  • Launched the RE Certificate Scheme to offer the community another option for supporting clean energy.
  • Achieved a 5% reduction in electricity consumption in government buildings within four years.
  • Implemented the new Building Energy Code and added five more products to the Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme (MEELS).
  • Saw 3 800 organisations sign the Energy Saving Charter and more than 1 500 premises sign the 4T Charter.


Nature Conservation

  • Established the ACCC and launched the CCFS.
  • Proceeded with statutory procedures to designate the Southwest Lantau Marine Park.
  • Proceeded with legislative amendments to implement a new fisheries management strategy in marine parks.
  • Consulted the public on enhancing the recreation and education potential of country parks and special areas.
  • Celebrated the 40th anniversary of the MacLehose Trail.
  • Continued implementing the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2016-21.


Building Partnership

  • Promoted best practices to the construction industry through the HKCA Environmental Awards, Environmentally Friendly Green Model Building Competition and MTRCL-EPD Joint Environmental Forum.
  • Conducted 20 environmental audits for the Wong Tai Sin District Council’s Quality Building Management Competition.
  • Organised a seminar on green practices for the vehicle repair trade.
  • Held the first of three seminars to prepare waste handlers on coming import and export controls on waste plastics and waste paper.


Community Awareness

  • Launched Phase 2 of the Plastic-free Takeaway, Use Reusable Tableware campaign.
  • Organised the Plastic-free Fun Fair for World Environment Day and World Oceans Day.
  • Supported 186 community-initiated projects through the Environment and Conservation Fund with a total grant of more than $205 million.
  • Received a record 2 608 entries for the 2019 HKAEE and Hong Kong Green Innovation Awards and honoured 214 winners from 2018.
  • Welcomed more than 107 000 visitors to the Fanling, Wan Chai and Mobile Environmental Resource Centres and Lung Fu Shan Environmental Education Centre.
  • Enrolled more than 8 300 students in the Student Environmental Protection Ambassador Scheme and awarded 40 schools with the Hong Kong Green School Award.


Sustainable Development

  • Through the SDC, launched a public engagement exercise on a long-term decarbonisation strategy for Hong Kong.
  • Held a prize presentation ceremony for the Sustainable Development Promotion Award for Students of Higher Education Institutions.


Cross-boundary And International Co-operation

  • Merged two cross-boundary working groups into the Hong Kong-Guangdong JWGEPCCC.
  • Launched a joint study with Guangdong on post- 2020 regional air pollutant emission reduction targets and concentration levels.
  • Agreed to include VOCs in the regional air quality monitoring network.
  • Launched the first joint coastal clean-up action with Guangdong.
  • Commended 180 enterprises under the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme.