Acting for Climate
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Acting for Climate
Objective
To mobilise action to move Hong Kong through a transition towards long-term carbon neutrality.
To drive improvements in Hong Kong’s air quality so that the city’s Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) are both in line with WHO guidelines and achieved through effective policy and regulation.
Our Strategy
Our strategy is to support science-based research needed to inform the development/change of government policy, the requisite engagement work and community education. We believe that accurate and credible science as well as an informed and educated public can provide the impetus to advance policy where current policies are inadequate.
Hong Kong’s air quality has been deteriorating since the late 90s…
Today, harmful levels of pollutants prevail in the city’s densely populated urban areas. This is undisputedly a significant health risk to local citizens.
Why we care about Air Quality
Rapid economic development in Asia has brought dire consequences for the environment. In urban areas, deteriorating air quality is directly impacting public health and in many jurisdictions such as China, regulatory enforcement is inadequate for addressing the problem. Downstream of a world major manufacturing hub in Guangzhou, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) faces persistent air pollution, significantly exacerbated by local pollution from marine and vehicle emissions and lack of political will to address the problem quickly enough to protect public health.
Although the HKSAR Government recognises poor air quality is a concern and is pursuing a number of initiatives, Hong Kong remains behind other comparable cities in managing its air quality and notably, its Air Quality Objectives fall short of WHO recommendations. Much more needs to be done to address, in particular, local sources of air pollution: motor vehicles, marine vessels and power plants.
Based in Hong Kong and so recognising and experiencing these challenges directly, ADMCF supports and works with organisations addressing Hong Kong’s climate challenges and deteriorating air quality.
In 2012, PM2.5 daily average concentrations exceeded WHO Air Quality Guidelines recommended standards by:
An increase of 10 Qq/m 3 in PM 2.5 concentrations will lead to a 22% increase in deaths from cardiovascular causes, a 42% increase in coronary heart disease, and a 24% increase in strokes among senior citizens aged 65+.
Our Impact
Roadside concentrations of major air pollutants, namely respirable suspended particulates, fine suspended particulates, nitrogen dioxide and Sulphur dioxide have all reduced by 20 to 30%, as a result of NGO pressure to clean up shipping, trucks and buses that led to targeted government action. Now levels of most air pollutants are within AQO target limits, except for nitrogen dioxide (twice the AQO limit) and ozone, which reached the highest level on record since 1999. Ozone largely is from coal plants and factories in the Greater Bay Area. So whereas previously, the pollution that affected us most in HK was generated by local transport, the worst of our pollution is now from across the border.
After years of education, developing action plans, data and research, the HK government mandated that as of 1st Jan 2019 vessels trading within the Pearl River Delta Domestic Emission Control Areas will be required to run on 0.5% low-sulphur fuel. This policy change started with the successful implementation of the Fair Winds Charter, the first voluntary scheme Environment Cleaning our Air initiated by Civic Exchange and the shipping industry to reduce emissions by requiring ocean-going vessels to switch to low-sulphur fuel while at berth.
That action (pushed by Civic Exchange and Clean Air Network, largely) included measures to control emissions from vehicles, notably, phasing out 82,000 pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles by the end of 2019 involving ex-gratia payments up to about HK$11.4 billion. More than half of these older and more polluting vehicles have already been retired.
Our Latest Blogs
November 11, 2021
Sophie le Clue
On 1st November, I stepped in to ADMCF’s CEO role following Lisa’s move into her new position at ADM Capital, building funds with a climate focus. After 15 years steering ADM Capital Foundation, Lisa has joined our ...
Hong Kong
August 26, 2021
ADMCF
In light of the government’s recently announced ban on disposable plastic tableware, ADMCF’s Ashley Bang was invited to share insights from her Eat Without Waste research at Green Drinks. Along with Edwin Lau from The Green ...
Hong Kong
August 13, 2021
Lisa Genasci
This week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its sixth assessment report (AR6), which is an urgent call to action. The report confirms that atmospheric CO2 levels are higher than at any time in at least 2 ...
