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Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Hong Kong Compares

Hong Kong. 7 October, 2010 (Thursday) – In response to the Environment Bureau’s climate change consultation, public policy think tank Civic Exchange and the Social & Policy Research Unit of the Department of Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIED) proposed ways to improve Hong Kong’s current measurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

HK’s GHG measurement problems

The HKIED research team observes that the current way the Hong Kong government calculates the city’s GHG emissions does not enable true comparisons with others' jurisdictions because:

ž   It does not use the same method used by nation states: This is because Hong Kong’s emissions are done for inclusion within China’s national GHG report. Some of Hong Kong’s emissions are included in China's GHG inventory rather than in Hong Kong's to avoid double counting.

ž   There are emissions left out of the inventory: The current method used by Hong Kong gives Hong Kong an emission count that does not reflect our full contribution to climate change. For example, the Hong Kong emissions inventory does not include emissions embodied in imports from mainland China or internationally, and from aviation and shipping.

ž   It distorts the true picture: The distortion means policy-makers do not have a true picture of Hong Kong’s total emissions and would likely reduce the effectiveness of policies.

“Hong Kong’s reported per capita GHG emissions are approximately 6 tonnes, but our actual contribution to global warming is two to five times this figure. Because Hong Kong’s official emissions inventory includes neither pollution from our consumption of imported food and products, nor pollution from our air travel, resulting policies will do a poor job of reducing our total contribution to climate change. Only when we include these emissions could our current inventory accounting methodology truly reflect Hong Kong’s full climate impact and so be able to provide an adequate guide to policy making,” said Prof Paul G. Harris, Chair Professor of Global and Environmental Studies and Head of the Department of Social Sciences at HKIED.

To enable useful and accurate input to policy, the following recommendations should be implemented:

1.          The Hong Kong government should not compare Hong Kong’s GHG emissions with those of other territories (e.g., cities or states) without using the same methodologies because it creates a false picture.

2.          In addition to calculating the territory’s emissions as part of China’s reporting schedule, the HKSAR Government should compile a GHG inventory that reflects Hong Kong's actual contribution to climate change. Reporting of emissions using methodologies of the Draft International Standard for Determining Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Cities would be appropriate for this purpose. This would provide for fuller reporting of emissions linked to consumption in Hong Kong.

3.          The government should not overlook the mitigation of the environmental impacts of local consumption patterns and of emissions embodied in imports.

Civic Exchange further recommends that the Hong Kong Government should:

1.      Promote emissions measurement as a core competence: As the world begins to measure GHG emissions from many perspectives (e.g. cities, sectors (buildings, transportation, waste, electricity generation, IT etc), Hong Kong could become a leader in this field.

2.      The Government can use public funding to build competence: The government can use direct funding of GHG measurement projects, as well as use public funds to build competence within the community (e.g. Environment & Conservation Fund, Research Grants Council’s funding etc).

3.      Hong Kong should participate in relevant forums: Where discussions take place on developing measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) nationally and internationally, Hong Kong can involve local experts to participate in them to build competence.

“There is a clear opportunity for HK to build competence in the new area of emissions measurement and analysis, which can be achieved at relatively low cost but requires knowledge and capacity-building,” said Christine Loh, CEO of Civic Exchange.

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For further information please contact:

Civic Exchange

-              Christine Loh, Chief Executive Officer on 2893 0213 / 9802 8888

-              Michelle Wong, Events and Communications Manager on 36222301 / 9361 5947

Social and Policy Research Unit, Hong Kong Institute of Education

-              Paul G. Harris, Chair Professor on 9630 8794 or pharris@ied.edu.hk

新聞稿
[即時發放]

溫室氣體排放：香港排放數字與比較

香港/2010年10月7日（星期四）：智庫思匯政策研究所與香港教育學院社會科學系社會與政策研究室今天提出一些針對改善香港現時計算溫室氣體排放方法的建議。這些建議將成為回應環境局較早前公布的氣候變化諮詢文件的一部分。

量度香港溫室氣體的問題

香港教育學院的研究隊伍認為現時編制下的香港溫室氣體計算方並不能夠提供一個可與其他國家或城市公平相比的基礎，原因如下：

l   香港採用的溫室氣體排放量計算方法跟國家排放報告所採用的並非完全一樣：因為香港的排放量列入中國的國家溫室氣體排放報告中，為免重複計算，部份於香港排放的溫室氣體量是納入中國的排放量而非香港的排放計算中。

l   某些排放並不納入於香港現行的溫室氣體排放清單中：香港現時的溫室氣體排放計算方法沒有全面反映其對氣候變化的影響，如香港的溫室氣體排放計算不包括由中國及世界各地入口、供香港消費的產品隱含排放，也不包括源自航空和航運活動的溫室氣體排放。

l   扭曲實況：這意味著政策制訂者不能掌握香港總體排放的真實情況，可能減低有關政策的效力。

香港教育學院社會科學系系主任及全球與環境研究講座教授Paul G. Harris表示：｢香港公布的人均溫室氣體排放量約為6噸，但香港實質的排放量應為此數字的兩至五倍。由於香港的官方排放清單不包括入口產品或食物的消費排放，也不包括源自航空運輸的溫室氣體排放，使香港的政策未能有效地減低香港對氣候變化的影響。除非我們把這些排放量也計算在內，否則香港現時計算溫室氣體排放的方法不能全面地反映其對氣候變化的影響，亦不能為政策制訂提供足夠的指導。｣

為提供有效和準確的氣候政策基礎，香港特別行政區政府應執行以下建議：

1.     如非使用同一排放計算方法，政府不應比較香港和其他地區（如城市或國家）的排放表現。此舉可避免各界對香港所造成的氣候變化影響產生片面理解。

2.     除計算香港作為中國一部份而得的排放量外，政府應編制全面反映香港實際溫室氣體排放的數據。《城市溫室氣體排放測算國際標準（草案）》（The Draft International Standard for Determining Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Cities）所建議的排放量計算方法可提供較為全面、以消費為基礎的溫室氣體排放量。

3.     除現行方案外，政府的氣候變化減緩策略應針對本地消費模式和入口所造成的環境影響。

思匯政策研究所同時建議特區政府應該：

1.      致力推廣量度排放量為一種主要的能力：全球開始從多方面量度溫室氣體排放，如城市、業界（建築、運輸、廢物處理、發電、資訊科技等），香港可以在這方面佔領導地位。

2.      特區政府可以運用公帑提升能力：特區政府可以通過直接資助量度溫室排放的項目以及運用公帑提升社會各界的能力，如透過研究資助局及環境及自然保育基金等的資助。

3.      香港應該參與有關討論：當本地或國際社會舉辦有關量度、匯報和審核溫室氣體排放的討論會，本地專家也應該參與其中，藉以提升能力。

思匯政策研究所陸恭蕙表示：｢很明顯，香港現時有機會在量度和分析排放這個冒起的新領域，以較低的成本發展，但這需要知識和提升能力｣。

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如有查詢，請聯絡：

思匯政策研究所

-              行政總監陸恭蕙（電話：2893 0213 / 9802 8888）

-              項目及傳訊經理黃潔文（電話：3622 2301 / 9361 5947）

香港教育學院社會科學系社會與政策研究室
-      社會科學系系主任Paul G. Harris（電話：9630 8794 或電郵：pharris@ied.edu.hk）