Civic Exchange, Hong Kong''s independent think tank, has commended the shipping industry for extending the Fair Winds Charter to the end of 2014.
The organisation said that this shows once again how committed the industry is in reducing ship emissions in Hong Kong, supporting government legislation for at-berth fuel switching, and promoting similar practices and regulations across the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region.
“The Fair Winds Charter has attracted a lot of interests and praise from other parts of the world. Hong Kong should be extremely proud of this achievement”, said Simon Ng, Head of Transport and Sustainability Research at Civic Exchange.
Ships are a major source of air pollution in Hong Kong and the government is stepping up its effort to control ship emissions. In January 2014, the government gazetted a new regulation to tighten the quality of marine light diesel for local vessels.
Later this year, a new regulation on at-berth fuel switching for ocean-going vessels will also be tabled in the Legislative Council for negative vetting and approval. In the long term, the government has set the goal of designating an emission control area in the PRD waters. These measures, if implemented, will significantly reduce ship emissions and protect public health in this region.
Facilitated by Civic Exchange and championed by the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association (HKLSA) and the Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association (HKSOA), the Fair winds Charter was first rolled out in 2011 for two years.
It was then extended in 2013 and now 2014. It's estimated that the Fair Winds Charter contributed to a reduction of 890 and 670 tonnes of sulphur dioxide in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
