Asia/Pacific News
Fresh Call for Pearl River Delta ECA
Hong Kong activists have renewed a push for the establishment of a low-sulfur Emission Control Area (ECA) in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), Hong Kong media reports.
The PRD includes the ports of Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and reportedly accounts for 12 percent of all goods shipped worldwide.
Think tank Civic Exchange said that with new low-sulfur rules for berthed ocean-going vessels in Hong Kong having gone into effect on Wednesday, it was now the time to focus attention on the next step.
"There needs to be a level playing field for the entire region," said chief research officer Simon Ng.
"Shenzhen already has an incentive scheme and hopefully Guangzhou will be pressured to do something, too."
Late last year, local government in Shenzhen had pushed for a "very aggressive" 2018 deadline for a PRD ECA.
Other local bodies in Hong Kong also reportedly echoed Ng's sentiments, with former Liner Shipping Association chairman Peter Ng Yee-chun having said that uniformity in the region would make things easier for shipping operators.
Earlier this year, Hong Kong's under-secretary for the environment Christine Loh also commented that a PRD ECA had a good chance of success given the Beijing government's recent focus on improving the country's air quality and growing concern over shipping emissions.
