Environmental Sustainability

Professor Peter Hills

The University of Hong KongThe Centre of Urban Planning and

Environmental Management

Issues

• What have we achieved so far?

• Do we understand sustainable development?

• Issues that we have to tackle

Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development in Hong

Kong• Improvements in environmental quality while

maintaining economic growth• Problems remain• Waste disposal is a critical problem• Transition from an exclusively local focus to a

regional PRDR focus (air and water)• Implication is that problems cannot be dealt

with by purely local policy and action

1971 1981 1986 19911976 2011200620011996 2031202620212016

Hong Kong Population Projections: 1971-2001

Hong Kong Air Pollutants Emission Inventory: 1987-1999

Source: EPD, HKSAR (2001); Internal Data, EPD, HKSAR (2002)

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

To

nn

e

CO

Non-Methane VOC

SO2

NOx

PM

Hong Kong Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 1990 - 2000

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

50000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Gg

CO

2-e

qu

iva

len

t (1

Gg

=10

00 t

on

ne

s)

Carbon Dioxide Methane Nitrous Oxide Hydroflurocarbons Perflurocarbons Sulphur hexaflouride Total

Source: EFB, HKSAR (2001)

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

Me

ga

jou

le p

er

Do

lla

r o

f G

DP

Total End-use Energy

Source: Environment & Food Bureau, HKSAR (2001)

Hong Kong End-Use Energy Consumption per Dollar of GDP: 1989-2010

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.40

0.45

0.50

Me

ga

jou

le p

er

DO

lla

r o

f G

DP

at

Co

ns

tan

t (1

99

0)

Ma

rke

t P

ric

es

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

1,000,000

GD

P i

n M

illi

on

HK

$

Residential Commercial

Industrial Transport

GDP at Constant (1990) Market Prices (Million HK$) Total Energy Intensity

Source: CSD, HKSAR (2001); EFB, HKSAR (2001); EMSD, HKSAR (1999)

Projected energy intensity figures for 2001-2010

Hong Kong End-Use Energy Consumption and Intensity:1984-2010

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Jou

le (

x106

) p

er

US

Do

llar

of

GD

P a

t 19

90 M

ark

et

Exch

ang

e R

ate

s

Hong Kong Japan Korea, South Singapore Taiw an ThailandSource: EIA, US Government (2000)

Energy Intensity in Selected Asian Countries 1980-1999

Municipal Solid Waste Generation

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

800019

89

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Year

Qua

ntity

(x 1

000

tonn

es) Projection

Solid Waste Generated 1989-2010

Source: EFB, HKSAR (2001)

Construction Waste Generation

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

1800019

89

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

Year

Qua

ntity

(x

1 00

0 to

nnes

) Projection

Construction & Demolition Materials Generated (1989-2010)

Source: EFB, HKSAR (2001)

Water Consumption

Water Consumption by Sector: 1986-2000

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Mill

ion

m3

Domestic Industries Service Trade Construction & Shipping Annual Fresh Water Consumption

Source: WSD, HKSAR (2000 & 2001)

Talking about Sustainable Development

• 1992 Earth Summit• 1993 Review of the 1989 White Paper• 1996 Review• SUSDEV21 study (Planning Department)• 1999 Policy Address• Sustainable Development Unit (2001)

and Council for Sustainable Development (2003)

• Hong Kong 2030 is “adhering to the principle of sustainable development”

• This “requires that we balance social, economic and environmental needs so that a vibrant economy, social progress and better environmental quality can be achieved simultaneously. In this connection, we will inter alia, apply the evaluation tool, i.e., the CASET, developed in the SUSDEV21 Study in the strategy formulation process in order to obtain as far as possible an optimum balance between the three factors for the recommended strategies.”

• Council for Sustainable Development Strategy Sub-committee

• Vision Statement:

“Our vision is for Hong Kong to be a healthy, economically vibrant and just society that respects the natural environment and values its cultural heritage. By engaging the community in the process of building a strategy for sustainable development, we aim to ensure that Hong Kong will be a city for all to share and enjoy, for this and future generations”

• Results of stakeholder survey

• Self-completion questionnaire with 15 representatives of 8 different stakeholder groups – 120 responses

• Academics, business, environmental NGOs, other NGOs, civil servants, Legco/DC members, media, and environmental professionals

• Selected for their knowledge/involvement as opinion leaders

Debate on Sustainable Development

• Sustainable development not seen as policy priority

• Level of understanding low except among environmental NGOs and international business community

• Local business community lags behind

• Lack of SD strategy, lack of policy integration and changing agendas are problems

• Economic growth and environment still counter-positioned in Hong Kong

• Debate on SD in HK is not well-informed

• Progress towards a more sustainable HK – government is far more optimistic than other stakeholders

• Academics and environmental NGOs least optimistic