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Following is a question by the Hon Abraham Shek Lai-him and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, in the Legislative Council today (July 7):
Question:
According to government information, for every degree Celsius cooler one sets the temperature of the air conditioner, the power consumption will increase by 10%. Environmental protection groups have urged the Government to formulate a long-term policy on the energy-efficient use of air conditioners in classrooms. In this connection, will the Government inform the Council:
(a) whether a comprehensive energy-efficient approach to regulate air-conditioned classroom temperature had been adopted in the past three years with reference to factors such as humidity, carbon emission and noise in the neighbourhood; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) of the measures it had implemented in the past three years to review the effectiveness of the publicity and educational programmes on carbon-cum-energy emission reduction in schools and, where appropriate, details of the follow-up reviews by the Environmental Campaign Committee;
(c) whether the Government will implement in schools a mechanism similar to the comprehensive target-based environmental performance framework; if not, of the reasons for that; and
(d) whether it had assessed in the past three years the feasibility to forge ahead voluntary recognition schemes with reference to overseas experience such as that in Australia and Singapore, to award schools which have over-achieved the minimum energy efficiency targets in (c); if the assessment outcome indicates that it is feasible to do so, of the details; if the assessment outcome indicates otherwise, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Education Bureau issued a circular to schools in 2006 urging them to maintain the temperature of air-conditioned premises at 25.5¢XC, so as to reduce energy consumption, improve air quality and combat the problem of global warming.
The Development Bureau and the Environment Bureau established in April 2009 a comprehensive target-based environmental performance framework for new and existing Government buildings, which set up targets in various areas of environmental performance including energy efficiency, renewable energy, indoor air quality and greenhouse gas emission, etc. Among these targets, some were specifically set for schools. For new schools to be constructed by the Government with construction floor area of more than 10,000 square metres, they are required to outperform the Building Energy Codes issued by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department by at least 5%, and achieve reduction in greenhouse gas emission through lowering energy consumption by at least 20% below the average consumption level for existing buildings of that type. Moreover, all new schools without air-conditioning should aim to have at least 0.5% of their electricity consumption met by renewable energy. The abovementioned environmental performance target is applicable to both Government schools and aided schools.
Environmental management practices including energy conservation by schools are widely promoted by schemes such as the Hong Kong Green School Award (HKGSA). Organised by the Environmental Campaign Committee, Environmental Protection Department and the Education Bureau, the HKGSA provides an objective benchmarking system for assessing schools' performance in setting environmental policy, provision of infrastructure, environmental management and education. Participating schools will be assessed on their energy conservation performance among various environmental performance aspects. Participating schools which have met the benchmark score for an individual environmental aspect will be awarded a Certificate of Appreciation. Participating primary and secondary schools which have met the benchmark scores for all four environmental aspects will be awarded the "Hong Kong Green School" status, whereas pre-schools will be granted an "Outstanding Award". Outstanding primary and secondary schools with all-rounded environmental performance will also be recommended to compete for the Sectoral Awards of the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence in the Schools Sector.
The HKGSA has been well-received by schools since its introduction in 2000. A total of 213 pre-schools, 305 primary schools and 203 secondary schools have participated in the award scheme. Under the Primary School and Secondary School Categories, a total of 165 schools have been granted the "Hong Kong Green School" status, and 40 schools have received 98 Certificates of Appreciation. Under the Pre-school Category, 15 schools have been presented with the Outstanding Award, and 47 schools have received 80 Certificates of Appreciation.
To promote energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprint, the Environment and Conservation Fund provides funding to schools to switch to better energy efficient installations, such as T5 fluorescent tubes and room coolers with Grade 1 energy label. As at June 2010, 213 applications from schools have been approved, involving a total funding of $53 million. About 20 projects have been completed, estimated to be reducing carbon emission by around 300 tonnes every year.
Ends/Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Issued at HKT 11:55
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