Shipping was the largest source of nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide in 2011 and vessels docked in the harbour produced 40% of total emissions within Hong Kong waters.
The problem is particularly acute near Kwai Cheung container port where pollution is estimated to cause respiratory problems in an additional 400 children aged eight to 12 compared with the rest of the City. Shipowners now acknowledge that they have a role to play in improving these statistics, despite the business implications of so doing.
The increased scrutiny is not surprising: regulators and academics have long pointed to the role shipping plays on the sulphur dioxide levels in Hong Kong. Civil Exchange, a Hong Kong public policy think tank, estimates that if the cruise ships that visited the City in 2012 had used fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5% while at berth, sulphur dioxide emissions would have been reduced by 71%.
Hong Kong EPD’s proposals would go even further than this, limiting the sulphur content of fuel while at berth to 0.1%. In comparison, under worldwide regulations set by the International Maritime Organisation, vessels may currently use fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 3.5%, which corresponds to the sulphur content of marine diesel oil.