Air | Environmental Protection Department

Vehicles, industry and power plants in Hong Kong and the PRD region all contribute to a regional air pollution problem, commonly seen as smog. Skiptomaincontent Air ThissectiongivesanoverviewonairpollutioncontrolinHongKong.FormoreinformationonHongKong'sairquality,pleasevisitAirPollutionControlStrategies,AirQualityObjectives,AQHI&AirQuality,IndoorAirQuality,OzoneLayerProtection,AsbestosControl,Problems&Solutions,PublicConsultation,Data&Statistics,StudyReportsandGuidelines&References. ANOVERVIEWONAIRQUALITYANDAIRPOLLUTIONCONTROLINHONGKONG THEAIRQUALITYPROGRAMME   HongKonghasbeenfacingtwoairpollutionissues,namelylocalstreet-levelpollutionand regionalsmogproblem.Commercialvehiclesarethemainsourceofstreet-levelpollution.Smog,however,iscausedbyacombinationofpollutantsfrommotorvehicles,marinevessels,industryandpowerplantsbothinHongKongandinthePearlRiverDelta(PRD)region.Becauseoftheseairpollutionproblems,HongKonghasyettofullyachievethecurrentAirQualityObjectives[seeAirQualityObjectivesComplianceStatus]   TheHongKongSpecialAdministrativeRegionGovernmentgiveshighprioritytocontrollingboth localairpollutionandregionalsmogproblems.Themainstrategiesinclude: Implementingawiderangeofmeasurestocontrolemissionsfrommotorvehicles,marinevessels,powerplants,andindustrialandcommercialprocesseslocally. WorkingwithGuangdongProvincialAuthoritiestoimplementajointplantotackletheregionalsmogproblem. ThestructurewithinGovernmentforairpolicydevelopmentandprovisionofservicesinairqualitymanagementisshowninthetable. ReducingEmissionsfromVehicles ImprovingairqualityattheroadsidetobetterprotectpublichealthhasalwaysbeenakeyenvironmentalpriorityoftheGovernment. Commercialvehicles,includinggoodsvehicles,buses,lightbusesandtaxis,arekeyemissionsourcesofairpollutantsattheroadside. Hence,commercialvehicleshaveallalongbeenamajortargetoftheGovernment’smeasurestoimproveroadsideairquality. TheGovernmenthasbeenimplementingaseriesofvehicleemissioncontrolmeasuresinrecentyears,includinganincentive-cum-regulatoryprogrammetophaseoutsome80,000pre-EuroIVdieselcommercialvehicles,replacementofcatalyticconvertersandoxygensensorsofliquefiedpetroleumgas(LPG)taxisandlightbuses,strengtheningemissionscontrolonLPGandpetrolvehicles,retrofittingEuroIIandIIIdieselfranchisedbuseswithselectivecatalyticreductiondevices(SCR)andtheadoptionoftightervehicleemissionstandards,etc.. Thankstothesemeasures,theconcentrationsofkeyairpollutantsattheroadside,namelyrespirablesuspendedparticulates(RSP)andnitrogendioxide(NO2),havereducedbyaround30percentfrom2013to2018. TheGovernmentispreparingthefollowingnewinitiativestofurtherreduceairpollutantemissionsfromvehicles. Toadoptanincentive-cum-regulatoryapproachtoprogressivelyphaseoutabout40000EuroIVdieselcommercialvehicles . TotightentheemissionstandardsoffirstregisteredmotorcyclestoEuro4,andtheemissionstandardsoffirstregisteredlightbuseswithadesignweightofmorethan3.5tonnesandbuseswithadesignweightofnotmorethan9tonnestoEuroVI. ToconductatrialofretrofittingofEuroIVandVdieseldouble-deckfranchisedbuseswithenhancedSCRsystemstoreducetheemissionofnitrogenoxides ToreviewthecurrentscopeofthePilotGreenTransportFundtofurtherpromotethetransportsectors’wideruseofgreeninnovativetransporttechnologies. Fordetails,pleaseseeCleaningtheAiratStreetLevel. ReducingEmissionsfromVessels Tocontrolemissionsfromlocalvessels,HongKonghascappedthesulphurcontentoflocallysuppliedmarinelightdieselat0.05%sinceApril2014.TheGovernmenthasledbyexamplebypoweringitsfleetwithEuroVdiesel(sulphurcontentnotexceeding0.001%). InJuly2015,HongKongwasthefirstportinAsiamandatingoceangoingvesselstoswitchtousefuelwithsulphurcontentnotexceeding0.5%whileatberth. Also,HongKonghasbeencollaboratingwiththeMainlandtojointlyimplementmarineemissioncontrolforthedomesticemissioncontrolarea(DECA)alongMainland’scoastalwaters.Startingfrom1January2019,allvesselswithinHongKongwatersarerequiredtousecompliantfuel(includinglowsulphurmarinefuelwithasulphurcontentnotexceeding0.5%),irrespectiveofwhethertheyaresailingorberthing. ReducingEmissionsfromIndustrialSourcesandPowerPlants TheAirPollutionControlOrdinanceanditssubsidiaryregulationsprovideforthecontrolofemissionsfrompowerplants,industrialandcommercialsources,constructionactivities,openburning,asbestos,petrolfillingstationsanddry-cleaningmachines. Aregulationwasintroducedin1990tolimitthesulphurcontentofindustrialfuel.Startingfrom2008,allcommercialandindustrialprocessesarerequiredtouseultralowsulphurdiesel(withsulphurcontentnotmorethan0.005%byweight).   ElectricitygenerationisamajorsourceofairpollutioninHongKong.Aseriesofmeasureshavebeenimplementedtocontrolemissionsfrompowerplantswhichincludeprohibitingtheinstallationofnewcoal-firedgeneratingunitsince1997,adoptingbestpracticablemeansforemissioncontrol,encouragingtheuseofnaturalgasforelectricitygeneration,imposingstringentemissioncapsonpowerplantsthroughtheirspecifiedprocesslicencessince2005,andincentivizingthetwolocalpowercompaniestopromotethedevelopmentofrenewableenergyforelectricitygenerationthroughtheSchemeofControlAgreement.In2008,wealsostipulatedthestringentemissioncapsfor2010andbeyondthroughaTechnicalMemorandum(TM).Inordertomeetthestringentemissioncaps,thepowercompanieshadadoptedadditionalemissionreductionmeasures,includinginstallingfluegasdesulphurization(FGD)systemsanddenitrificationsystemsforcoal-firedunits,andincreasingtheuseoflow-emissioncoalandnaturalgasforelectricitygeneration.In2010,wereviewedtheFirstTMandtightenedtheemissioncapsforthepowersectorfrom2015onwards,thecompliancewithwhichwouldrequirethepowersectortomaximizetheuseofexistinggas-firedgenerationunitsandprioritizecoal-firedgenerationunitsretrofittedwithemissionabatementfacilities.Sincethen,weconductedsevenmorereviewsontheTMand,aftereachreview,issuedanewTMtosupersedetheoldonetofurthertightentheemissioncaps.TheEighthTMwasissuedinNovember2019andwouldtightentheemissioncapsofSO2,NOxandRSPbyaround70%to90%from2024onwardsascomparedwiththeemissioncapssetundertheFirstTM. Asaresultofthestringentcontrolmeasuresimplementedoverthepastyears,emissionsfrompowerplantshavebeensubstantiallyreducedovertheyearseventhoughdemandforpowerhasincreased.Formoredetails,pleasevisit AirPollutionControlStrategies.   ReducingVolatileOrganicCompound(VOC)Emissions VOCsarefoundinalotofproductssuchassolvent-basedpaints,printinginks,consumerproducts,organicsolventsandpetroleumproducts.Otherthanmotorvehicles,theuseoftheseproductsreleasesVOCswhichcauseairpollutionandsmog(VOCsandSmog).ToreduceVOCemissions,theGovernmenthasimplementedcontrolmeasurestorecoverpetrolvapourreleasedduringpetrolunloadingandrefuelingatpetrolstations,andtotightenemissionsstandardsofmotorvehiclesinlinewiththeEuropeanUnionstandards.TheVOCRegulation,effectivefrom1April2007undertheAirPollutionControlOrdinance,controlstheVOCcontentinarchitecturalpaints/coatings,printinginksandsixbroadcategoriesofconsumerproducts(i.e.airfresheners,hairsprays,multi-purposelubricants,floorwaxstrippers,insecticidesandinsectrepellents);andrequiresemissionreductiondevicestobeinstalledoncertainprintingmachines.Theregulationwasamendedin2009toextendthecontroltootherproductswithhighVOCcontent,includingadhesives,sealants,vehiclerefinishingpaints/coatings,andmarinevesselandpleasurecraftpaints/coatings,startingfrom1January2010inphases.In2017,theregulationwasfurtheramendedtocoverfountainsolutionsandprintingmachinecleaningagentswitheffectfrom1January2018.    TacklingRegionalAirPollution Vehicles,industryandpowerplantsinHongKongandthePRDregionallcontributetoaregionalairpollutionproblem,commonlyseenassmog.TheHongKongandGuangdonggovernmentsareworkingonajointplantoreducethetotalamountofemissionsandstopairqualityfromfurtherdeterioratingassoonaspracticable,andinthelongtermtoachievegoodairqualityforthewholeregion.Thankstothejointeffortsofthetwogovernmentsincuttingemissionsintheregion,suchasretrofittingpowerplantswithfluegasdesulphurizationdevices,phasingouthighlypollutingindustrialplantsinthePRD,introducingcleanermotorvehiclefuelsandmotorvehicles,etc.,theairqualityintheregionhasimprovedovertheyears.AccordingtotheairqualitymonitoringresultsfromthePRDRegionalAirQualityMonitoringNetwork,theaverageannualconcentrationsofSO2,NO2andRSPinthePRDRegiondecreasedby81%,28%and36%respectivelyin2018comparedtothefiguresof2006whentheNetworkstartedtooperate. Formoredetails,pleasevisitAirPollutionControlStrategies. OURGLOBALOBLIGATION OzoneLayerProtection TheOzoneLayerProtectionOrdinanceenablesHongKongtofullycomplywithinternationalobligationsundertheMontrealProtocoltophaseoutozonedepletingsubstances,andtocontroltheimportandexportofthesesubstances.Fordetails,pleasevisitOzoneLayerProtection. AIRQUALITYINFORMATION TheEPDmonitorsRSPs,NOxandotherpollutants.ItprovidesupdatesonAirQualityHealthIndexeveryhour,andpreparesannualreportsonairpollutionlevels.Fordetails,pleasevisitAQHI&AirQuality. INDOORAIRQUALITY Indoorairquality(IAQ)isagrowingconcern.TheEPDhassetupanIndoorAirQualityInformationCentretoprovideinformationonIAQanditsmanagementaswellasproductsandtechnologiesthatcanhelpimproveIAQ.Fordetails,pleasevisitIndoorAirQuality. WHATYOUCANDO Citizenscanhelpreduceairpollutionbychoosingpublicinsteadofpersonalisedtransportanddoingsuchthingsasturningoffelectriclightsandapplianceswhennotinuse.Formoretipsonreducingairpollution,pleaserefertoHelpCleantheAir. Industry,developersandotherscanalsoplaytheirpartsbyobservingairpollutioncontrollawsandexercisinggoodpracticesintheiroperations.PleaserefertoGuidelines&Referencesforafullaccountofcomplianceguidesandgoodpractices.