**********************************************************
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Pearl River Delta Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network released today (June 28) a report on its 2015 monitoring results. The report shows a continual improvement of air quality in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The network includes 23 air monitoring stations located in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau and monitors the six major air pollutants (i.e., sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, respirable suspended particulates, fine suspended particulates and carbon monoxide).
The average annual concentration levels of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and respirable suspended particulates in the PRD decreased by 19 per cent, 11 per cent and 13 per cent respectively in 2015 when compared with the 2014 levels. Compared with the 2006 levels, the pollutants also showed a significant downward trend with decreases of 72 per cent, 28 per cent and 34 per cent respectively. The figures illustrate that the measures implemented by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau have contributed to the improvement of air quality in the PRD. The 2015 average annual concentration level of ozone increased by 10 per cent when compared with the 2006 level, but decreased by 7 per cent when compared with that of 2014. With the enhanced monitoring network of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau completed in September 2014, the average annual concentration levels of newly added parameters, namely fine suspended particulates and carbon monoxide, for 2015 are available, recording 32 µg/m3 and 0.8 mg/m3 respectively. The pollution trends of the six air pollutants since 2006 are shown in the Annex.
To further improve regional air quality, the Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Department of Environmental Protection of Guangdong Province (GDEPD) concluded in November 2012 the emission reduction targets for 2015 and the emission reduction ranges for 2020. Hong Kong unveiled "A Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong" in March 2013 and Guangdong announced "The Guangdong Air Pollution Control Plan (2014-2017)" in February 2014, under which both sides put forward a series of air quality improvement measures covering industrial sources, land and marine transport, power plants and non-road mobile machinery. The measures to be taken forward under these two plans will contribute to the further improvement of air quality in the PRD. The two sides have embarked on a mid-term review and will conclude the achievement of 2015 emission reduction as well as establish the emission targets for 2020.
Key emission reduction measures implemented in Hong Kong in recent years include tightening the emission caps for power plants, reviewing the fuel mix for electricity generation, progressively phasing out pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles, strengthening the control of emissions from LPG and petrol vehicles, tightening the sulphur content of locally supplied light diesel for vessels' consumption, regulating ocean-going vessels to switch to low-sulphur fuel when berthing in Hong Kong waters, and controlling the emissions from non-road mobile machinery. Key emission reduction measures recently implemented in Guangdong include promoting cleaner power generation to enhance the structure of energy supply; introducing stringent environmental requirements for new projects; phasing out polluting industries with low production capacities and embarking on programmes to reduce air pollution by adoption of desulphurisation, low nitrogen-oxides combustion and de-nitrification technologies; designating restriction zones for combustion of high polluting fuels; fully implementing restriction zones for yellow-label vehicles; supplying diesel at National V standards in the whole of the PRD; implementing National V emission standards for petrol vehicles; and promoting remediation of volatile organic compounds in key industries and enterprises. The Macau side is also taking forward a series of air quality improvement measures and by continuously implementing legislation and formulating scientific standards under the ambient pollution control actions outlined in the Macao Environmental Protection Plan (2010-2020), including forbidding the import of highly polluting vehicles, establishing emission standards for vehicles and stationary sources, enhancing the standards and regulations for emission inspection systems, and formulating the introduction and promotion of environmentally friendly vehicles.
The Guangdong Environmental Monitoring Centre, the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong (EPD), the Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (Macao EPB) and the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (Macao MGB) are responsible for the co-ordination, management and operation of the monitoring stations of the three sides, and will continue to release the annual reports on the monitoring results and pollution trends of the PRD as well as the quarterly statistical monitoring results. Members of the public can visit the website of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Regional Air Quality Monitoring Information System (http://113.108.142.147:20047) directly, or the websites of the GDEPD (www.gdep.gov.cn), the EPD (www.epd.gov.hk), the Macao EPB (www.dspa.gov.mo) and the Macao MGB (www.smg.gov.mo) to obtain relevant annual reports and quarterly statistical monitoring results.
Ends/Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:01
NNNN
