Restoring Blue Skies:
Review of the Policy Agenda on Air Pollution
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

April 2008
 

(Full Paper)

Synopsis of ideas and recommendations
Introduction

One: Global citizenship
Two: Cooperation with the Mainland
Three: Energy policy
Four: Demand-side Management
Five: Infrastructure and urban planning
Six: Sustainable transport
Seven: Green procurement
Eight: Pollution tracking
Nine: Transparency and reporting
Ten: Building human capital for sustainability
 

63.   Improvement air quality is a key issue in Hong Kong ��s sustainability.  If we are to succeed, an important element is to continue to build the skills and expertise for sustainable development.

64.     At the higher level, we should encourage the development of human capital through our universities�� programmes in public health, urban planning, environmental sciences, meteorology, chemistry, engineering, energy, transportation, manufacturing, architecture, building services, information technology and instrumentation, and public policy.  This is also an area where cross-border cooperation could be potentially most fruitful.  (41)

65.     At the public policy level, strong subject matter expertise should increasingly become a necessary qualification for the top government appointees in the various policy areas that impact on sustainability.  (42)

66.     For the general public, the green groups have already done much work in creating awareness.  As pollution abatement now cuts across many policy areas that impact on people��s lives (e.g. health, transport, energy, planning, business, etc.), the public campaign should now transcend the interest of any sector or group to be a cross-sector cooperation.  The government, through the Environment and Conservation Fund, will have a useful coordinating role in various programmes in public education targeted at different segments of the population.  (43)

 

The Way Forward

(Full Paper)