Hong Kong leading the way on emissions control policy in AsiaHong Kong leading the way on emissions control policy in Asia

Giving the keynote address at the China Maritime 2014, Undersecretary for the Environment Christine Loh said that while the policy direction at national level is towards onshore power, Hong Kong believes that the easiest and fastest to implement solution to the problem of emissions control is fuel switching.

Hong Kong authorities have spoken to government officials in neighbouring Guangdong province up to vice-ministerial and ministerial level about this, she said. "In a way, you could say Hong Kong is attempting to change national policy," Loh said.

Highlighting the policy of the territory's government to make the waters of the Pearl River Delta an emissions control area (ECA), Loh acknowledged however that this "cannot happen in a short time" as approvals need to be sought at many levels and ultimately needs to go up to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Meanwhile she updated that the drafting work for the legislation that will make Hong Kong the first in Asia to legislate fuel switching at berth is well underway for presentation to the legislative council (Legco), the territory's legislature, and it is hoped that it will be ready for presentation and adoption before their summer recess in mid-July.