Air quality in Hong Kong is typical of any large modern city. Diesel emissions and fine dust in the urban areas are the most pressing problems. As a result of various measures taken to reduce emissions from motor vehicles, the overall air quality is improving. In 2002, although instances of non-compliance with the air quality objectives for particulates and nitrogen dioxide were still recorded in several districts, including the busy city centres such as Causeway Bay, Central and Mong Kok, the figures have been reduced when compared with previous years.

    Hong Kong's objectives for air quality, developed in 1987, are comparable with standards adopted in developed countries at that time. Hong Kong is closely monitoring the latest overseas developments in air quality standards.

    Many factories and commercial activities produce air-borne emissions. The EPD operates a range of controls under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations, including specific controls on furnaces and chimneys, dark smoke emissions, fuel quality, open burning, dust emissions from construction works, emissions from petrol filling stations and perchloroethylene emissions from dry-cleaning facilities. A regulation was being prepared to reduce vapour emissions from vehicle refuelling.

    Air pollution arouses much public concern, especially when factories are near homes. In 2002, the department handled 4 600 complaints of air pollution, and issued more than 300 legal notices instructing offenders to abate air pollution.

    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

For the air pollution and nuisances experienced at the roadside, vehicle emissions are the major source. 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 ahead of the European Union in raising its statutory standards for motor vehicle fuel. On this front, 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. From April 2002, it became the statutory standard for motor diesel.

    As regards emission standards, Hong Kong follows the steps of the European Union and has adopted Euro III emission standards since January 2001 for all newly registered vehicles except newly registered diesel private cars which must meet emission standards more stringent than the Euro III standards. Cleaner fuels and tighter emission standards introduced in the past few years have significantly reduced the 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 those below the Euro I emission standards (i.e. pre-Euro vehicles) with particulate removal devices where practicable. Grants are being provided to encourage owners of the 18 000 diesel taxis to replace their vehicles with ones that are run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Since the disbursement of grants began in August 2000, over 16 700 diesel taxis have been replaced by liquefied petroleum gas taxis. In August 2002, a similar scheme was launched to encourage the early replacement of diesel light buses with LPG or electric light buses. A programme to retrofit pre-Euro diesel light vehicles with particulate removal devices was completed in October 2001, with about 24 000 vehicles retrofitted. A similar retrofit programme for pre-Euro diesel heavy vehicles started in December 2002. A new regulation was being prepared to make it mandatory for pre-Euro diesel light vehicles of up to four tonnes to be equipped with particulate removal devices.

    Another motor vehicle emission control strategy 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, 16 310 tests were conducted in 2002. Since September 1999, smoky goods vehicles of 5.5 tonnes or below have been required to be tested by a chassis dynamometer to check smoke emissions. From January 2002, the advanced chassis dynamometer smoke test has been extended to larger vehicles.

    Apart from having cleaner vehicles and cleaner fuels, it is essential to promote mass transit systems that are pollution-free at street level. The Government has adopted a policy that gives priority to rail over road, and to encourage innovation wherever practical.