Vehicle Emissions

Following the lead of its northern masters, Hong Kong has announced a plan to remove high-polluting vehicles and to replace its massive fleet of diesel-powered buses and trucks. According to undersecretary for environment, Christine Loh, the government will begin a “carrot and stick” approach starting in the New Year to begin tackling a problem which has been bandied about with no real consequence for over 15 years.

Beijing’s municipal government has announced that it will take a certain percentage of official vehicles off the road during times of extreme pollution to lower exhaust emissions and reduce air contamination.

The Chinese government is preparing to charge emission fees on cars and is currently discussing this policy, according to Li Zuojun, deputy director of Resources and Environment Institute under the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Everyone is aware of Hong Kong’s poor air quality but what can an individual or an organisation do to make a difference? This was the basic question that Standard Chartered Bank put to three NGOs back in early 2010. Together with Friends of the Earth (HK), Green Power and WWF-Hong Kong, the bank came up with a scheme focussed on Hong Kong vehicles usage and transportation options in general.

The Asia Development Bank is urging China to adopt a tough green taxation system if it hopes to meet its pollution reduction goals and promote sustainable economic growth.