ENG-2001 — Page 353

THE ENVIRONMENT

Some large industrial facilities and processes cause more air pollution than others. The Air Pollution Control Ordinance specifies these processes, which must operate under a licence setting out the measures each must adopt to minimise air pollution.

Transport

Vehicle emissions are the major pollution source in Hong Kong. The Government's policy is to apply the most stringent motor vehicle fuel and emission standards whenever they are practicable and available.

As far as motor vehicle fuel is concerned, the sale of leaded petrol has been banned since April 1999. Hong Kong is moving in parallel with the European Union in raising its statutory diesel standard. On this front, only diesel of less than 0.035 per cent sulphur in weight could be sold at petrol filling stations from January 1, 2001. In addition to that, in July 2000, Hong Kong became the first city in Asia to introduce ultra low sulphur diesel, which has a sulphur content of less than 0.005 per cent, for use in motor vehicles. Through the introduction of a concessionary duty on the environmentally cleaner fuel, the new fuel has become available at all filling stations since August 2000 and is the only motor diesel sold at all stations.

As regards emission standards, all new diesel private cars must meet stringent emission standards since April 1998. This has virtually halted the registration of new diesel private cars. All new diesel vehicles must meet Euro III emission standards by phases from January 2001. Starting from November 2000, all new petrol or liquefied petroleum gas vehicles have to undergo an emission test for licence renewal. Cleaner fuels and tighter emission standards introduced in the past few years have significantly reduced pollution from motor vehicles.

To deal with the problem of in-use diesel vehicles, the Government's policy is to replace them with cleaner alternatives and to retrofit them with emission reduction devices where practicable. Grants are being provided to encourage owners of the 18 000 diesel taxis to replace their vehicles with ones that run on liquefied petroleum gas. Since the disbursement of grants began in August 2000, over 14 000 diesel taxis had been replaced by liquefied petroleum gas taxis by the end of 2001. The trial of alternative fuel light buses was completed in January 2001 and the Government is working on the introduction of cleaner light buses. A retrofitting programme that the Government is running involves equipping pre-Euro diesel light vehicles with particulate traps and catalysts by end-2001; over 24 000 vehicles have been retrofitted. A trial of catalytic converters for pre-Euro heavy diesel vehicles was also completed. The Government is working out a plan to provide financial assistance to owners of such vehicles to retrofit their vehicles with catalytic converters.

Another motor vehicle emission control strategy the Government is pursuing is to tighten the control against smoky vehicles. A scheme for reporting smoky vehicles has been operating since 1988. All vehicles reported under the scheme must be examined at designated test centres to confirm that the vehicle owners have rectified the smoke defects. Under the scheme, 20 900 tests were conducted in 2001. Since September 1999, smoky goods vehicles of 5.5 tonnes or below have been tested by an advanced chassis dynamometer to check smoke emissions. Action is in hand to extend the test to larger vehicles.

Apart from having cleaner vehicles and cleaner fuels, it is essential to promote other mass transit systems that are pollution-free at street level. The Government has

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