Press Release
Environment Hong Kong 2004 published
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| With a theme of Working Together for a Sustainable Future, "Environment Hong Kong 2004" is now available for sale at the online Government Bookstore. |
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 23) published its latest annual report on the progress made in improving the environment in 2003 and outlining the challenges ahead.
In the "Foreword", the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, said good progress had been made in reducing motor vehicle emissions last year.
She noted that nearly all diesel taxis had been replaced by LPG ones and that about 80% of newly registered public light buses were running on LPG.
"Installation of emission reduction devices on pre-Euro light diesel vehicles is now a statutory requirement.
"The same will happen to pre-Euro heavy diesel vehicles after the current catalyst retrofit programme for those vehicles has been completed in 2004," Dr Liao said.
Compared with 1999, the concentrations of particulates and nitrogen oxides at the roadside had fallen by 13% and 23% respectively in 2003.
The number of smoky vehicles had also dropped by more than 70% during the period.
Dr Liao said that a "Regional Air Quality Management Plan" had been drawn up with the Guangdong authorities to set out the enhanced air pollution control measures that the two governments planned to implement to achieve the agreed emission reduction targets for four major regional air pollutants.
On the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS), Dr Liao said Stage 1 had brought about considerable improvement to the water quality of Victoria Harbour.
"Despite that, we have to move on with Stage 2 to provide adequate protection to our harbour in the light of the anticipated growth in population and economic activities in the HATS catchment," she noted.
Public views on Stage 2 of the HATS are now being sought and the public consultation exercise will last until November 20, 2004.
Turning to waste reduction, Dr Liao said the recycling rate of municipal solid waste registered an increase from 36% in 2002 to 41% in 2003, which was the largest yearly increase ever observed.
"We have also succeeded in continuing to arrest the growth in municipal solid waste disposed of at landfills for four consecutive years since 2000, which compares favourably with the 3.5% annual growth rate previously.
"In December 2003, we introduced a Bill into the Legislative Council for the implementation of a construction waste disposal charging scheme in line with the polluter-pays principle," she said.
The Bill was passed by the Legislative Council on July 2 this year.
Entitled "Environment Hong Kong 2004" with a theme of "Working Together for a Sustainable Future", the annual report emphasises the EPD's efforts to enhance customer service and its continual efforts to form partnerships with stakeholders to tackle environmental pollution.
It also gives an account of cooperation with regional and international organisations on protecting the environment.
The full-colour report is printed with environmentally friendly ink on recycled paper. It covers areas including community awareness, customer service and partnerships, environmental assessment and planning, air, noise, waste, water, and enforcement.
A pamphlet is also published to give the public a quick grasp of the progress made to protect the environment last year.
Companion resource materials for the annual report, in CD-ROM form, summarise the progress made in 2003 with detailed figures, tables and charts.
The Chinese and English versions of the annual report, each with a bilingual CD-ROM attached, are now on sale at $94 each. The bilingual CD-ROM is also available for sale at $8 each.
Orders can be placed at the Government Bookstore on the Internet at http://bookstore.esdlife.com. The annual report and the CD-ROM can be ordered through other channels including by phone from the Publications Sales Section of the Information Services Department (ISD) at 2537 1910, by fax at 2523 7195 or by downloading the order form from the ISD website at http://isd.gov.hk, or by email to puborder@isd.gov.hk.
The annual report, the companion resource materials and the pamphlet are also available on the EPD website at www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, July 23, 2004
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