http://www.cyleung2012.com/declaration/policy/35
Present situation
•The deteriorating air quality has already affected the health of Hong Kong people and the image of the community;
•The rapid growth of solid waste has rendered our landfills insufficient to meet demand in the next few years. The plan to expand landfills is long overdue, and the proposal to build incinerators is also beset with difficulties selecting the best technology and in identifying sites;
•While the economy is in progressive development, there is no earnest concern about energy wastage and damage to the ecology. Based on the primary principle of sustainable development, we must radically change our habits of using energy.
•While more new buildings, infrastructure and public facilities are being constructed in the city, quite a number of vintage buildings with historical character have been demolished. The need for conservation has become more prominent.
Standpoint
1.Re-examining the environmental protection policy in Hong Kong from the perspective of sustainable development.
2.We must implement effective measures and persist in carrying out long-term environmental protection policies to provide a high quality living environment for the community.
3.In response to the global concerted action to mitigate climate change, we must study and set a target for reducing the emission of carbon dioxide by 2020 and devise an all-round action plan.
4.Reinforcing public education, raising the entire community’s awareness of environmental protection and making concerted efforts to discharge our duty as global citizens.
5.Conservation is indispensable to the sustainable development of society. The development of Hong Kong should not aim at economic gains alone, and the demand from the community for spiritual life carries equal weight.
6.Private property rights must be respected while carrying out conservation work.
Policy platform
The work practice of sustainable development
1. Building a sustainable development policy framework taking into account the economic, social and environmental concerns, and strengthening the coordination and co-operation among policy bureaux when planning and implementing relevant policies.
2. Raising the position and dimension of the present Sustainable Development Division of the government, beefing up support for the Council for Sustainable Development so that it can provide more comprehensive and forward-looking views to the Chief Executive, especially the low-carbon reform strategies.
3. We must explicitly consider conservation in town planning. Historical buildings and streets should be designated as a specified category in Outline Zoning Plans. We must explicitly consider how to integrate conservation with city planning and its impact on the outlook, functions and life in the community. Appropriate attention should be given to local districts that have their unique features.
Air quality
4. To safeguard residents’ health, we must adopt the World Health Organisation’s Air Quality Guidelines as the long-term goal. We must use administrative and legislative means to implement the updating of the short-term Air Quality Objectives recently announced by the government, including the coverage of fine suspended particulates (PM2.5). We must study and set medium and long-term Objectives, and further adopt diversified measures to reduce local air pollutant emissions to improve air quality to a level that can meet the new Objectives. The Air Quality Objectives must be regularly reviewed and updated.
5. Supporting the vehicles transiting to models of low-energy consumption and low pollution through education, use of technology, regulation and incentive measures.
6. Studying how to enhance the traffic and transport system based on the policy of mass carriers as the backbone to reduce vehicle gas emissions generated from congested roads and improve roadside air quality.
7. Earnestly implementing the guidelines of facilitating good air ventilation of congested districts in city planning as stipulated in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, and reducing the accumulation of pollutants.
8. Implementing the regulation of fuel standards of the shipping industry and reducing pollutants emitted from vessels.
Solid waste
9. Adopting policies guided by the reduction of waste at source to reduce demand for more landfills and incinerators. If it is inevitable, we have to adopt new technology and coordinate with the facilities in adjoining districts.
10. Implementing the proposal to reduce, recycle and properly treat waste to promote development of the recycling industry. Implementing the Waste Producer Responsibility Scheme, and progressively extending the coverage of the Product Eco-Responsibility Ordinance. To encourage all industries to adopt voluntary recycling programmes, and introducing a waste charging scheme after extensive public consultation.
11. Promoting domestic food waste reduction, encouraging the business and industrial sectors to sort the waste at source, building more organic waste recycling and treatment facilities, and encouraging the full use of recycled resources such as compost.
Natural environment conservation
12. Examining the new 2004 Nature Conservation Policy in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity and mapping out a package of nature conservation policies in line with new circumstances. Compiling an endangered species register and drawing up corresponding protection measures.
13. Refining conservation and development of country parks, expanding coastal parks by phases, and according to the need to develop various kinds of reserves to expand the ecological capacity of Hong Kong.
14. To protect the outstanding natural scenery as one of our nature conservation objectives, we must identify and affirm places of high scenic value in the territory and adopt appropriate protection measures.
15. Reviewing the integrated social values of agricultural industry in Hong Kong from the perspective of ecological landscape and ‘Green Hong Kong’ and setting up an inter-departmental working group to formulate policies to promote and support new-age multi-functional agricultural activities on land suitable for agriculture.
16. Affirming the integrated social value of Hong Kong waters, establishing a fund to provide Hong Kong fishermen with skills and training to replace traditional fishing with means of living based on the sea, and promoting the sustainable use of Hong Kong waters.
Energy and climate change
17. Actively promoting a low-carbon economy, drawing up and conducting long-term energy-saving campaigns, and raising various sectors’ awareness of energy saving, in particular to cut down the overall power consumption of Hong Kong so as to reduce the need to build new power generation facilities.
18. The government should co-operate with professional organisations, district groups and industry groups to devise options to reduce energy consumption for various sectors such as residential, commercial and industrial and transport, and to implement these options by way of diversified measures such as education, use of technology and incentive policies.
Revitalising historic buildings
19. Revitalising historic buildings and identifying means to develop their new social functions, and continuing to allocate funds to the Development Bureau to carry on the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme.
Leading by government, participation by entire community, and regional cooperation
20. Planning and promoting low-carbon reform in Hong Kong, including transforming old buildings, designing new buildings, popularizing renewable energy installations, advocating low-carbon energy-saving living, promoting low-carbon and low-emission transport system, and reinforcing related civil education.
21. By way of education, legislation and incentive policies to promote participation by the entire community in substantial reduction of energy consumption and reducing energy expenditure of residents and various businesses. Implementing effective measures to heighten residents and various industries’ awareness of environmental protection and conservation.
22. Stepping up cooperation with Guangdong Province and Macau on quality of air and water, energy and ecology. Tackling cross-region pollution problems at source, and establishing a monitoring and coordination system, as well as a contingency and reporting mechanism for major incidents.