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Following is a question by the Hon Tien Pei-chun and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (November 20) :

Question:

In reply to a question raised by a Member at the Legislative Council meeting on 16 October this year, the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works pointed out that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government had set up an expert group under the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection to take forward various measures in air pollution management, with the objective of achieving the agreed emission reduction targets by 2010. In response to my supplementary question, the Secretary cited examples to illustrate these measures. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the details of the various measures in air pollution management and the implementation timetable?

Reply:

Madam President,

In accordance with their agreement reached in April this year, the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government are considering in detail the recommendations in the report of the Study of Air Quality in the Pearl River Delta Region having regard to their feasibility. Both Governments will implement a series of additional control measures with the objective of reducing, on a best endeavour basis, by 2010 the emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), respirable suspended particulates (RSP) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the region by 40%, 20%, 55% and 55% respectively, using 1997 as a base.

To achieve the agreed emission reduction targets, the study report recommends that the Hong Kong SAR Government should take the following actions -

(a) reduce VOC emissions from sources such as printing operations and consumer products including paints and aerosol sprays of various kinds; and

(b) reduce SO2, NOx and RSP emissions from power plants in Hong Kong.

For Guangdong Province, the study report recommends that the Guangdong Provincial Government should -

(a) reduce emissions from power plants through transmission of hydro-electricity from the west, using cleaner fuels and upgrading existing plants;

(b) reduce motor vehicle emissions through speeding up the tightening of motor fuel and vehicle emission standards; and

(c) reduce industrial emissions through targeting the most polluting industrial processes and requiring their upgrading or the installation of control equipment.

The two governments have set up an expert group under the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection to take forward the recommendations in the study report. The work of the expert group includes assessment of changes to regional air quality and the effectiveness of the additional improvement measures to be implemented. In this connection, the expert group is currently planning to set up an enhanced regional air quality monitoring network. The enhanced network is expected to become operational around 2004. The expert group is also studying the feasibility of introducing a pilot emissions trading scheme for power plants in the two places.

We will consult the Legislative Council on the details of the proposed additional control measures to be carried out in Hong Kong and the proposed timing of implementation once they have been drawn up.

End/Wednesday, November 20, 2002

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