Date of publication: 29-03-2013
The promise of "blue skies" in the Pearl River Delta region in 2020 from was held by the Government of Hong Kong yesterday as it is laid out by a multi-pronged roadmap for cleaning up the air.
Steps in Hong Kong are the establishment of an expiry period of 15 years for new commercial diesel vehicles and leaving only the "cleanest" bus models at certain busy roads, which will be designated as low-emission zones.
This will help reduce pollution along the way, a major source of smog in the busy city.
The Hong Kong Government will also work with the Guangdong authorities to cut down on regional smog.
A measure is "actively investigated" is to force ships to switch to cleaner fuels while in the ports in the Pearl River Delta. Another is to continue to focus Hong Kong-owned factories in Guangdong to take "cleaner production" practices.
If these plans come to fruition, they will go a long way in cleaning up the financial hub image. Surveys have found that air pollution is an important factor in deterring expats and foreign companies from here.
The World Health Organisation last year ranked Hong Kong 559th of 566 cities when it comes to the quality of the air. Another report estimated that there are 3,000 premature deaths and more than seven million to the arts-Hong Kong-approximately one per inhabitant last year due to pollution.
At the launch of A Clean Air Plan for Hong-Kong, accredited environmental Secretary Wong Kam Sing that air quality is "a major environmental".
"This Government has assigned top priority to the improvement of the quality of the air," he said yesterday.
Leung Chun Ying announced Chief Executive in January, HK $ 10 billion (US $ 1.29 billion) subsidies gradually polluting heavy buses and trucks.
The planned timetable for the clean-up campaign is in two to three years, along the way the air pollution will drop, as the oldest and dirtiest vehicles are abolished.
In four to five years, will change the mix of commercial vehicle fleets. Ships use while mooring, instead of burning high-sulfur bunker fuel cleaner fuels.
by 2020, regional air quality Will be "much improved" as a result of stricter rules in Hong Kong and on the Mainland for industries and transport. Sulfur dioxide emissions will be cut by as much as 75 percent; nitrogen oxide by 30 percent.
"We will see not only more ' blue sky ' days in Hong Kong, but also in Macau and the Pearl River Delta," described the plan.
Beyond that is the hope that by 2030, old behavior will have changed-all sources of emissions will be more strictly controlled in the region as a whole.
"Green and clean living will have taken root. This is our pursuit, "explained it.
To get there, Hong Kong will be replaced by a more stringent air quality index a set by the World Health Organisation.
It will "better reflect the health risks of air pollution and clearer health advice to the public and vulnerable groups", according to the report.
Meanwhile, there will also be better coordination between the various government agencies responsible for the environment, transport and housing and development, said Wong.
For example, in the planning of new developments, the Government looking for ways to improve air ventilation, and non-motorized transport, such as walking and cycling, more attractive.
In analyzing Hong Kong challenge, the report noted that the quality of the air, while broadly similar to some Asian cities such as Seoul and Taipei, is not as good as that of Singapore, where the rain showers help wash away pollution.
Hong Kong also shares the same Hong Kong-Macao-Pearl River Delta air barn, inhabited by 60 million people and which houses one of the world's most important industrial and logistics zones.
"In other words, Hong Kong must work twice as hard for the control of air pollution than many other cities," the report said.
Post a Comment
Post a Comment