A woman covers her mouth while waiting to cross a busy intersection in Causeway Bay yesterday. The government has laid out proposals to tackle the city's poor air quality. Edmond Tang

HONG KONG: Environmental groups, upon reviewing the Air Quality Objectives, think there could be more immediate improvement in the air quality.

William Yu, head of the climate program at World Wide Fund Hong Kong, said the administration should demand that power companies install and pay for equipment for desulphuring fuel oils. Wu described government proposals for reducing the concentration of sulphur dioxide as relatively weak.

Despite the government's suggestion for replacing vehicles that contribute heavily to air pollution with models adhering to the latest European standards, Yu was not satisfied. He said it would be more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly to equip the new, non-Euro buses with filtration to remove nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants.

Yu said he believes the public should pay for improved environmental conditions but he argued the cost could be reduced through alternative measures.

Green Sense chairman Tam Hoi-pong agreed that commercial interests should contribute to the improvement.

"If buses are to be replaced with those in Euro standards, the companies must be responsible for a large part," he said. "Improving air quality is not a free lunch, so they must pay for it."

He supported the notion of reconciling bus routes, noting the many buses that ply the way along Lockhart and Nathan roads and become major contributors to the heavy pollution in the vicinity.

Tam also urged bus companies to adjust the settings of air conditioners on vehicles. He said most buses are set to temperatures between 17 and 22 degrees Celsius.

Friends of the Earth expressed disappointment that the government did not set out a schedule for adopting the 19 proposals. The organization noted that a group commissioned by the government proposed the air quality measures should commence in 2015.

Environmental Affairs Officer Angus Wong added the consultation neglects the impact of pollution from the mainland, overemphasizing the cost of improving air quality but neglecting the health impact.

"It can be so counterproductive that the public may find it too costly to implement the suggestions," he said.

Greenpeace agreed, declaring its outrage that the government declined to implement the World Health Organization standard.

(HK Edition 07/24/2009 page1)