Battle pollution whether it comes from the seas or the roads
All vessels will have to switch to low-sulphur fuel while in Chinese waters from 2019; now we should upgrade truck and bus fleets to combat roadside emissions
A clean-fuel marine emissions regime covering the whole Pearl River Delta area has long been the goal of environmental officials. The recent switch by ocean-going vessels to low-sulphur marine diesel fuel when berthing in Hong Kong has brought it closer. Emissions of sulphur and respirable suspended particles of 10 microns or less were expected to fall by 12 and 6 per cent respectively as a result. Now a much bigger clean-air landmark is in sight, with the mainland’s ministry of transport having declared the entire delta a future emissions control area.
From January 2019, all vessels will have to switch to low-sulphur fuel while in Chinese waters. Hong Kong and Macau are not included in the PRD emissions control area, but a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department says the city will adopt it, so that the requirement for low-sulphur fuel is no longer confined to berthing only. Hong Kong has made progress in reducing total air pollution from all causes, but marine and roadside fine-particle pollution remain potent contributors. Since the switch to cleaner fuel for berthing, the department says data shows sulphur concentrations in Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po are up to 50 per cent lower.