Air Quality in Hong Kong

Main Content

Air quality is a major concern in Hong Kong, and the Government is undertaking a number of initiatives to improve it. The following provides an overview of the problems and the solutions that are being put forward.

Air Pollution

Hong Kong's air pollution is mainly contributed by motor vehicles and power plants. The two greatest challenges are local street-level pollution and regional smog. Diesel vehicles, particularly trucks, buses and light buses, are the main source of street-level pollution. Smog is caused by a combination of pollutants mainly from motor vehicles, industry and power plants in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta.

The Government is working hard to reduce emissions. As of 2009, a comprehensive programme to reduce street-level pollution had lowered the roadside levels of respirable suspended particulates and nitrogen oxides by 33% and 31% respectively compared with 1999. The Environmental Protection Department completed a public consultation on a proposal to review the Air Quality Objectives and to develop a long-term air quality management strategy, and reported the findings to the Legislative Council in mid 2010. The Department is considering the best way forward to update the Air Quality Objectives and how the new Objectives could be achieved. The Government is also working with the authorities in Guangdong to reduce regional emissions.

Air Pollution Index (API)

The Environmental Protection Department releases hourly information to inform the public about air pollution levels. The API transforms the air quality data measured at monitoring stations into a single number ranging from 0 to 500. Higher values indicate higher levels of pollution. This is particularly useful for the young, the elderly and those with heart or respiratory illnesses who need to take precautions when air pollution levels are high. An API forecast also advises the public before the onset of high air pollution levels.

More on the APIhttp://www.gov.hk/en/residents/environment/api.htm

Pearl River Delta Air Quality

Cooperation between the governments of Hong Kong and Guangdong is working to ensure that regional pollution levels are brought under control. At the forefront of such efforts is the Regional Air Quality Network, which is coordinating individual initiatives in different cities to ensure that everyone in the Delta benefits. The Regional Air Pollution Index is monitoring the results, which can advise you on the general level of pollution in the region.

More on Pearl River Delta air qualityhttp://www.gov.hk/en/residents/environment/raqi.htm

Vehicle Smoke and Exhaust Gas Reduction

Pollution is a particular concern at the street level in the built-up urban areas of Hong Kong. Diesel vehicles are a large part of the problem, and the Government is working to reduce their effects. But there are also simple ways that you can reduce your own vehicle pollution, and in doing so help others.

More on combating vehicle smoke and exhaust gashttp://www.gov.hk/en/residents/environment/exhaustgas.htm

Importance of Indoor Air Quality

The Government's concern about air quality in Hong Kong also extends indoors. It is important to achieve and maintain a better indoor air quality as we spend majority of our time indoors, either at homes, offices or on public transportation facilities. Good indoor air quality safeguards our health and would also help enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness over other cities.

More on the Indoor Air Quality Centrehttp://www.iaq.gov.hk/index_eng.asp

What You Can Do

There are a number of practical and easy ways that you can help to improve air quality both indoors and outdoors. For example, you can choose public instead of private transport and switch off domestic appliances and electric lights when they are not in use. Industry, developers and others can also play their parts by observing air pollution control laws and exercising good practices in their operations. What we do now will determine how well we live tomorrow.