ENG-2016 — Page 297

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The Environment

The EPD takes action to reduce emissions from local air pollution sources. Between 1997 and 2014, emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), respirable suspended particulates (RSP) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) dropped 28 per cent to 65 per cent.

From 2007 to 2016, ambient concentrations of RSP, NO, and SO2 dropped 40 per cent, 11 per cent and 57 per cent respectively, and roadside concentrations of RSP, NO, and SO2 fell 48 per cent,15 per cent and 68 per cent respectively. Although ambient ozone increased 5 per cent during the same period, there had been initial signs of a reversal over the last two years. The department will continue to strengthen regional collaboration to further alleviate the problem of regional photochemical smog.

Land Transport

Vehicle emissions are the major source of roadside air pollution. The government's policy is to apply the most stringent practicable motor vehicle fuel and emission standards. All newly registered vehicles are required to comply with European Union V standards. Preparations are under way to tighten the emission standards to Euro VI levels.

Nearly all taxis and more than 72 per cent of public light buses run on LPG. The First Registration Tax is reduced for buyers of newly registered environment-friendly commercial vehicles, which have low emissions. An incentive cum regulatory scheme, launched in 2014 to phase out some 82,000 pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles by the end of 2019, had put about 49,700 such vehicles out of service by end-2016.

Diesel vehicles with excessive smoke are subject to stringent controls. Such vehicles must pass. a smoke test conducted with a chassis dynamometer to check whether defects have been rectified. In 2016, 3,798 smoky vehicles were reported, about 46 per cent fewer than in 2014. The drop in number was attributed mainly to the phasing out of pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles since 2014. The government deploys mobile roadside remote sensing equipment to detect LPG and petrol vehicles with excessive emissions, and identified 2,652 such vehicles in 2016.

The First Registration Tax for electric vehicles is waived till March 2017. Compared with 2015, the fleet grew 72 per cent to 7,231 in 2016. About 1,500 charging points are available for public use, including some 220 quick and more than 340 medium charging points.

To promote mass transit systems that are pollution-free at the street level, the government gives priority to rail over road and encourages innovation.

Marine transport

Marine vessels are the largest emission source in Hong Kong. To control marine emissions, the government regulates marine fuel quality by capping the sulphur content of local marine light diesel vessels at 0.05 per cent. Ocean-going vessels at berth were required from 2015 to use low-sulphur marine fuel that contained not more than 0.5 per cent sulphur.

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