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The Environment

while minimising the environmental impact of energy usage and production. The bureau's Sustainable Development Division promotes sustainable development in both the government and the community and provides secretariat support to the Council for Sustainable Development.

Government spending on the environment in 2014-15 was budgeted at $16.1 billion, or about 3.7 per cent of total public expenditure.

Sustainable Development

The Council for Sustainable Development, appointed by the Chief Executive, promotes sustainable development in Hong Kong. The Sustainable Development Fund provides grants to organisations and individuals to carry out work related to sustainable development. Since 2003, 63 projects have been approved (and 51 of those completed), involving grants of over $63 million.

The Sustainable Development Division oversees the government's sustainability assessment system, adopted since 2001 to integrate sustainability considerations into the decision-making process. All bureaus and departments must conduct sustainability assessments of their major initiatives and programmes and explain the implications in their submissions to the Policy Committee and Executive Council.

Environmental Awareness

The EPD works closely with the government-appointed Environmental Campaign Committee to enhance public environmental awareness through campaigns and community programmes, including activities promoting waste reduction and recycling, energy conservation and other environmental initiatives. The EPD's environmental resource and education centres provide the public with easy access to environmental information. By providing grants to local non-profit making organisations to implement educational, research and other projects relating to the environment and conservation, the Environmental Conservation Fund seeks to promote behavioural and lifestyle changes to protect the environment and promote sustainable development.

Cross-boundary Co-operation

Since environmental pollution transcends administrative boundaries, Hong Kong works together with Guangdong and the Macao SAR on environmental matters. In September 2014, Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao signed a Co-operation Agreement on Regional Air Pollution Control and Prevention. At the same time, the regional air quality monitoring network was enhanced, with inclusion of a monitoring station in Macao and the number of air monitoring stations increased from 16 to 23. Results from the regional air quality monitoring network show that there has been a substantial reduction in the average annual concentration of most pollutants in the region in recent years. From 2006 to 2013, the average annual concentrations of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and respirable suspended particulates decreased by 62 per cent, 13 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. To further improve regional air quality, the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments in November 2012 endorsed the emission reduction targets/ranges for the Pearl River Delta region for up to 2020.

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