Policy Influences

IENV has a two-decade long history working closely with cross-border governments on a variety of air quality research and pollution control measures.

Extensive efforts hence influencing corresponding decision-making process have covered a wide range of policy areas that included regional air quality monitoring network, ship emissions, on-road vehicular emissions, air quality (and health) index, and formulation of future cleaner air blueprint.

 

 

1998

Supported Hong Kong Environmental Pollution Department (HKEPD) in developing Air Pollution Index (API) forecast system

2006

Joint efforts with Hong Kong's independent policy think tank Civic Exchange in shepherding industry-led voluntary control measures

2010

Fair Winds Charter - World first industry-led, voluntary, unsubsidized, at-berth fuel switch

2012

Clean Air Plan - Providing scientific evidence for HKSAR Government's air pollution control measures

Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)- Providing scientific evidence for the revamping of the city's air quality index  

2014

Provided scientific evidence for HKSAR Government - led to 11.4 billion HKD diesel commercial vehicle replacement scheme targeting 82,000 vehicles

2015

Supported HKEPD in the Guangdon-Hong Kong-Macau PM2.5 research project

2017

Air Pollution Control (Ocean Going Vessels) (Fuel at Berth) Regulation implemented

2018

HKUST joined the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Office for Marine Emissions and Control

2019

China will start enforcing clean fuel regulation near Chinese port

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES & CUTTING-EDGE STUDIES

 

  1. The very high background ozone and PM2.5 levels
     
  2. Air pollution exposure (and health) management in urban environment with high densities and high-rise buildings
     
  3. Pursuing high-performance buildings for energy saving and better indoor air qualities 
  1. Increasing the literacy of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - an important precursor of ozone and PM2.5
     

  2. Developing a Personalized Real-time Air-quality Informatics System for Exposure (PRAISE-HK)
     

  3. Advancing building information model (BIM) and formulating indoor air quality guidelines

  1. HKUST VOC Analytics Lab to be operated in 2021
     
  2. A 5-year project in development with the 1st phase mobile app to be launched in Jun 2018
     
  3. Joint efforts with building owners and property managers to examine and advance air filtration systems for cleaner indoor air qualities