Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang called on the community
to pitch in to combat air pollution at Tuesday's launch of the
Action Blue Sky Campaign which will last till the end of this
year.
"Every small step taken by each individual to support the
clean-air initiatives in our daily lives can help reduce air
pollution," Tsang said.
He reminded people that setting their air-conditioners to 25.5
degrees Celsius would save about one billion units of electricity
each year. He also urged the private sector to dress down in
summer.
"My goal is to reduce electricity consumption in government
offices by at least another 1.5 percent this year. I hope that
every commercial building management will consider measures to save
energy - they will also be saving money and the environment," he
said.
Hong Kong and Guangdong are studying and adopting measures to
improve air quality, he said, adding he hoped they could give a
detailed account on this topic during the Ninth Plenary of the Hong
Kong/Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference in Guangzhou early next
month.
The Action Blue Sky Campaign, with "Clean Air for a Cool Hong
Kong!" as its slogan, is organized by Hong Kong's Environmental
Protection Department. A series of publicity and educational
activities will be rolled out in the coming months to encourage the
community and the business sector to do their part to clean upthe
air.
Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao is
featured in two 30-second TV/radio announcements, speaking on
regional cooperation in combating air pollution and how people can
help improve air quality at the personal level. These announcements
will be broadcast regularly starting Tuesday.
From August onwards, roving exhibitions with quiz booths on air
pollution will be set up in 18 districts. The Advisory Committee on
the Environment will also hold a workshop in September on the
review of air-quality objectives. Green groups and academics will
be invited to join the discussion.
The Environmental Campaign Committee will join with the District
Councils and green groups to reinforce green messages, such as
setting air conditioners to 25.5 degrees Celsius, using
energy-efficient products, switching off idling engines and
reducing the consumption of products containing volatile organic
compounds.
The committee will also hold the Hong Kong Green School Awards
and Green Pre-School Awards in September, along with the
Eco-business Award. These will promote energy efficiency and
conservation and highlight the business community's role and
contributions in saving energy and reducing air pollution.
The Student Environmental Protection Ambassadors Scheme will be
launched in October to promote green messages at schools.
School-based competitions will be organized to educate students
about air pollution.
To enhance the environmental awareness of the local business
community, a seminar to showcase best environmental practices in
business and industrial operations will be held in late
November.
(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2006)