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To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Certification Scheme for Offices and Public Places, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) this afternoon (February 28) held the IAQ Certificate Award Ceremony cum 10th Anniversary of IAQ Certification Scheme at Maritime Square, Tsing Yi, to present certificates to representatives of premises owners and organisations who have made concerted efforts to maintain good IAQ.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, commended the awarded organisations for achieving good IAQ. Their achievement can set an example to other organisations in maintaining good IAQ and enhance public awareness on the issue.
Mr Wong said that since the launch of the IAQ Certification Scheme in 2003, with the support from stakeholders the number of premises participating in the scheme has been continuously increasing, accounting for a roughly tenfold increase in the number of certificates issued, from 86 in 2004 to 836 by end of last year. Among those certificates, 199 were Excellent Class and 637 were Good Class.
Apart from promoting good IAQ through the IAQ Certification Scheme, it is also paramount to enhance recognition and awareness of the issue among the younger generation. As such, the EPD has collaborated with the Hong Kong Institute of Education to produce three sets of DVDs about IAQ for teachers to use as education materials in teaching about and promoting good IAQ to primary and secondary students in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is the first place in the East Asian region to introduce a certification scheme for IAQ. A two-level IAQ objective (Excellent Class and Good Class) is used as the benchmark to assess the IAQ of premises. Building owners and management companies can hire an accredited examiner to assess the IAQ of their premises. An IAQ certificate will be issued if the assessment result complies with the requirements. With a view to further improving IAQ, the EPD is consulting the relevant professionals and experts on possible enhancement of the existing IAQ objectives.
Interested organisations and individuals who want to participate in or know more about the IAQ Certification Scheme can obtain the information from the IAQ Information Centre or its dedicated website at www.iaq.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, February 28, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:55
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