Asia/Pacific News
More Effort Needed to Tackle Hong Kong Air Pollution
Hong Kong shipping traffic is contributing to continued high air pollution in the city, despite efforts to rein it in, South China Morning Post reports.
According to the report, the northwest New Territories area of Hong Kong are the worst affected due to shipping and cross-border power stations.
Voluntary schemes by shipping companies to use low-sulphur fuel when in port should be widened to reduce pollution, it said.
Land transportation was also cited as negatively impacting the local air quality.
Hong Kong is understood to be phasing out 82,000 old diesel trucks under a policy aligned with European Union (EU) emission standards known as Euro IV, but the EU has since moved on to much more stringent requirements under Euro VI while Hong Kong rules have not kept pace.
According to the report, official figures for 2013 showed sharp declines in NOx, SOx, and particulate matter recorded at three roadside measuring stations.
But air pollution is still said to frequently exceed World Health Organization 'safe' levels and ozone concentrations are said to have increased 7 percent in 2013, adding to successive gains every year since 1999.
The report adds that efforts to coordinate with authorities in neighbouring Guangdong province should be stepped up to combat the situation.
In January, Hong Kong non-governmental organisation (NGO) Clean Air Network said "marine emission has become the major source of air pollutants in Hong Kong."
