Milestones in Hong Kong Environmental Protection - 2020

2020

Air

  • Embarked on the legislative process to update Air Quality Objectives.
  • Launched an incentive-cum-regulatory programme to progressively phase out about 40 000 Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles by the end of 2027.
  • Expanded the scope of the New Energy Transport Fund to subsidise not only testing but also use of green innovative transport technologies.
  • Launched the $2 billion EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme to subsidise the installation of EV charging-enabling infrastructure in the car parks of existing private residential buildings.
  • Tightened the emission standards for newly registered motorcycles, light buses with a design weight of more than 3.5 tonnes and buses with a design weight of not more than 9 tonnes, in phases starting from October 2020.
  • Embarked on a review of the Eighth Technical Memorandum to further tighten the emission caps for power plants.

 

Noise

  • Issued a professional practice note on the application of baffle-type acoustic windows in planning residential developments.
  • Completed resurfacing 102 local road sections with low-noise road surfacing materials, benefiting 146 000 people.
  • Completed retrofitting noise barriers at 19 road sections, benefiting 64 000 people. Noise barriers were under construction at two other road sections.

 

Water

  • Invested $2 billion in sewerage infrastructure, bringing the total invested since 1990 to $59 billion.
  • Launched shoreline wardenship programmes to create temporary jobs in the realm of clean shorelines.
  • Consulted the trade on introducing a voluntary scheme for phasing out personal care and cosmetics products that contain plastic microbeads.
  • Supported a sewage surveillance research for monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 virus and tracking down infection cases from sewerage systems.

 

Environmental Assessment and Planning

  • Continued to adopt green features in planning new development areas to promote a green living environment.
  • Continued to promote state-of-the-art construction methods that minimise environmental impacts and expedite land production.
  • Vetted the environmental implications of 237 funding and policy proposals submitted to the Executive Council, Legislative Council and other decision-making bodies.

 

Environmental Compliance

  • Received a Special Achievement in Geographical Information System Award 2020 from the Environmental Systems Research Institute, in recognition of our achievements in developing innovative GIS applications.
  • Inspected about 540 import shipments and intercepted about 90 containers of imported illegal waste.
  • Arranged proper handling of the clinical and contaminated waste generated by COVID-19 testing and quarantine programmes.

 

Waste Reduction

  • Community recycling: Brought 22 Recycling Stores (formerly known as Community Recycling Centres), 9 Recycling Stations (formerly known as Community Green Stations) and over 100 Recycling Spots under the new community recycling network, GREEN@COMMUNITY; extended Green Outreach, outreaching service providing assistance to the community in waste reduction and recycling, to 6 additional districts; and introduced the GREEN$ electronic participation incentive scheme at all outlets of GREEN@COMMUNITY.
  • Recycling facilities: Conducted a public engagement on newly designed recycling bins that would be installed in public places; launched a pilot scheme on smart recycling systems at selected community recycling facilities; and took over management of waste separation bins in public places from the FEHD.
  • Plastics: Launched a two-year pilot scheme to collect and recycle all types of waste plastics from non-commercial and non-industrial sources in Eastern District, Kwun Tong and Sha Tin; launched the Pilot Scheme for Provision of Necessary Equipment for “Plastic-free” School Lunch in about 45 primary and secondary schools; and completed the technical trial of reverse vending machines, paving way for the launch of a pilot scheme on using RVMs for the collection of plastic beverage containers.
  • Paper: Commenced territory-wide collection and recycling services on waste paper to enhance the quantity and quality of local waste paper recyclables and promote sustainability of the local recycling industry.
  • Support to industry: Provided financial relief to recyclers to cope with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • MSW charging: Continued to fund Community Involvement Projects to try out the use of dummy designated garbage bags for waste disposal (similar to the arrangement under the proposed MSW charging regime) in different types of premises – by the end of 2020, about 180 projects had received a total of about $150 million.

 

Waste Facilities

  • Awarded the contract to build and operate the Y·PARK, which will turn yard waste into useful materials; it is expected to be commissioned in 2021.
  • Continued to develop O·Park2 to increase the capacity for recycling food waste; it is expected to be commissioned in 2023.
  • Announced the expansion of a trial scheme for co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge to include Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works in 2023.
  • Continued with design and construction works of I·Park, which will be commissioned in 2025.
  • Continued with construction works for the extension of the Southeast New Territories Landfill and other preparations to extend the other two strategic landfills, namely Northeast New Territories Landfill and West New Territories Landfill.

 

Energy

  • Met our target of improving the fuel mix for electricity generation by reducing the proportion of coal to one-quarter of the mix compared with one-half in 2015.
  • Approved more than 11 000 applications under the Feed-in Tariff Scheme since its launch in 2018.
  • Received approval of $4.3 billion for an additional District Cooling System at Kai Tak Development.
  • Achieved and exceeded our goal to reduce electricity consumption in Government buildings by 5% in the five years ending 2019- 2020. The final saving was 7.8%.
  • Saw more than 3 600 premises sign the Energy Saving Charter and over 500 premises sign the 4T Charter.

 

Nature Conservation

  • Approved a variety of countryside conservation and revitalisation projects under the CCFS.
  • Implemented minor improvement works at Lai Chi Wo and Sha Lo Tung to enhance remote countryside revitalisation.
  • Enhanced management of country parks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Designated the Southwest Lantau Marine Park.
  • Implemented a new fisheries management strategy in marine parks.
  • Proceeded with the proposed expansion of the Sham Wan Restricted Area and extension of the restricted period to enhance protection of Green Turtles.

 

Building Partnership

  • Completed a trial programme on retrofitting skips.
  • Held four briefings for the shipping and recycling trades on forthcoming controls over the import, export and re-export of plastic waste.

 

Community Awareness

  • Launched the Reduce and Recycle 2.0 campaign to promote the community recycling network, plastic-free living and food waste recycling.
  • Promoted the Eco Anti-pandemic through initiatives such as a publicity campaign to advocate plastic-free takeaway meals.
  • Continued the reusable tableware lending programme to reduce the use of disposable plastic tableware.
  • Approved 166 community-initiated projects in 2020 through the ECF, providing a total grant of about $127 million.
  • Received a record 2 785 entries to the 2020 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE) and 86 entries for the 2020 Hong Kong Green Innovation Awards (HKGIA), and honoured 214 winners from 2019.
  • Enrolled more than 7 700 students in the Student Environmental Protection Ambassador Scheme and honoured 72 schools with the Hong Kong Green School Award (HKGSA).

 

Sustainable Development

  • Welcomed the Government’s decision to aim for carbon neutrality before 2050, as recommended by the SDC following a public engagement exercise.
  • Welcomed participation by 40 secondary and primary schools in the Sustainable Development School Outreach Programme, involving about 9 200 students and teachers.
  • Honoured 50 secondary schools in the Sustainable Development School Award Programme, whose activities reached about 100 000 students, teachers and members of the community.

 

Climate Change

  • Announced that Hong Kong would strive to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050.
  • Launched the $200 million Green Tech Fund to support research and development projects on decarbonisation and environmental protection.

 

Cross-boundary And International Co-operation

  • Held the second meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change (JWGEPCCC).
  • Conducted a joint study with Guangdong on post-2020 regional air pollution reduction targets and concentration levels.
  • Allocated $311 million for a new five-year phase of the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme.
  • Amended regulations to control the import and export of mercury to fulfil our obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.