This letter was sent to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) by Jim Middleton, a member of Clear The Air, in relation to the misleading figures quoted on the EPD website regarding per capita CO2 emissions. The letter was sent on the 7th of December.
Dear [EPD],
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) chooses to disguise emission figures by using a per capita emission for CO2 and then comparing the rest of the world to show Hong Kong in favorable light.
That is ridiculous.
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/air/data/emission_inve.html
The Hong Kong population has a cocoon of only 154.4 m2 of space each in which to breathe the C02 and pollutants emitted. The above site shows Greenhouse weighted emissions at 6.5 tonnes per capita of Hong Kong population in 2006.
That is 42 kgs emissions per m2 per Hong Kong person per year.
You state Hong Kong emissions are lower than those developed countries shown below.
The EPD report below lists Australia at 27 tonnes emissions per capita.
In Australia each person has 374,800m2 of space compared to Hong Kong’s 154.4 m2 each.
That is 0.072 kgs emissions per m2 per Australian person per year.
I suggest the Government gets real on this misleading method of presenting Hong Kong’s greenhouse emissions.
regards
James Middleton