Tag Archives: China

     Following is a question by the Hon Kwok Wai-keung (Hon Dennis Leung asked on his behalf) and a reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (March 13):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding measures to enhance occupational safety and health (OSH) at construction sites, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it will consider introducing for contractors a demerit point system whereby demerit points will be allotted to contractors who are found to have breached OSH-related requirements during safety inspections, and the demerit points accumulated by the contractors concerned will be taken into account in evaluating their tenders submitted for public works projects, and the tendering qualifications of contractors whose demerit points have exceeded a specified limit will be suspended, so as to enhance deterrence;
 
(2) as it is learnt that individual contractors have implemented on their own “marking schemes for workers” under which demerit points will be allotted to workers who have breached safety rules at construction sites, and workers whose accumulated demerit points have reached the maximum limit may be suspended from work, and it has been reported that the Construction Industry Council (CIC) will standardise the relevant criteria for allotting demerit points and implement a “safety performance scheme” in the first half of this year, whether the authorities will make it mandatory for all contractors to participate in the scheme; and
 
(3) as a number of major infrastructural projects will commence in Hong Kong, and according to the Construction Expenditure Forecast released by CIC in July last year, the total construction expenditure of the construction industry in Hong Kong will range from $240‍ billion to $375 billion per annum from 2022-2023 to 2031‍-‍2032, whether the authorities will proportionally increase the expenses spent on OSH-related measures to raise the OSH awareness in society as a whole?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government attaches great importance to site safety. The Labour Department (LD) has been closely monitoring the level and trends of occupational safety and health (OSH) risks in various industries. Pursuant to the risk-based principle, the LD formulates and adjusts strategies for inspection and enforcement, publicity and promotion, as well as education and training to uplift the OSH performance. The Development Bureau (DEVB) from time to time reviews the safety management system of public works and adopts a multi-pronged approach by implementing measures on various fronts, including project design, tender evaluation, contract provisions, works supervision, technology application, regulation of contractors, as well as publicity and promotion, with a view to uplifting site safety performance.
      
     Having consulted the DEVB, my consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Kwok Wai-keung (Hon Dennis Leung asked on his behalf) is as follows:
 
(1) The works departments responsible for managing public works contracts are required to assess the contractors’ performance (including performance on “site safety”) on a quarterly basis. Works departments should take into account the inspection results of the LD, works departments and their resident site staff when assessing contractors’ performance on “site safety”.
 
     Under the current tender evaluation mechanism, contractors’ performance on “site safety” and accident rate in public works contracts, as well as their record of serious incidents (whether they occurred on public works sites or not) will be assessed. The assessment related to “site safety” contributes to about 30 per cent of the overall technical score at most. Therefore, contractors’ performance in public works contracts will directly affect their opportunities of being awarded for future public works contracts.
 
     If the contractor’s performance on “site safety” is rated as “very poor” in a quarterly assessment, its performance report will be rated as “adverse”. Generally speaking, if a contractor receives two consecutive “adverse” quarterly performance reports in a public works contract, the DEVB will suspend the contractor from tendering for public works contracts pursuant to the regulating regime. Besides, if a contractor receives repeated “adverse” quarterly performance reports, even if the reports are not consecutive, we can also consider suspending the contractor from tendering from public works contracts, if necessary, taking into account actual circumstances. In the above situation, the works department will conduct an end-of-contract review after the completion of contract, and will take appropriate regulating actions against the contractor, including downgrading, demotion, or even removal from the approved lists, as necessary.
      
     The DEVB will immediately suspend the contractor concerned from tendering for public works contracts after the occurrence of serious construction incident on sites. Subject to the investigation findings, the DEVB will convene a Panel of Enquiry and will impose further regulating actions on the contractor as necessary.
 
(2) Every member in the project team plays an important role in ensuring site safety. Everyone has the responsibility to perform their own duties. The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is further enhancing the safety awareness of all industry stakeholders and nurturing a safety culture.
 
     The Government understands that the “Frontline Site Personnel Safety Performance Recording Platform” (the Platform) applicable to frontline site personnel and workers on construction sites is being studied by the CIC and consultations with different stakeholders on its details are still ongoing. It is understood that the purpose of setting up the Platform is to enhance the safety performance and safety awareness of frontline site personnel, and to praise and reward those with outstanding performance, and also to arrange appropriate additional safety training for those whose safety performance is of concern. The establishment of the Platform should help improve the safety performance of frontline site personnel and will not affect their livelihood or employment opportunities.
      
     The CIC takes the lead in developing and implementing the Platform, which is a voluntary measure adopted by the industry. We believe that it would help further raise workers’ awareness of OSH.
      
(3) Pursuant to the risk-based principle, the LD will continue allocating resources to promote OSH and raise the public awareness of OSH. On inspection and enforcement front, other than routine inspections, the LD will flexibly deploy resources and workforces according to the needs of special operations so as to conduct relevant work more effectively. On publicity and education front, the LD in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Council has allocated considerable resources for training, education and publicity work. This includes organising large-scale activities (e.g. the “OSH Innovation and Technology Expo”), stepping up publicity efforts through a wide range of channels (including advertisements on television and public transport), continuing to organise OSH seminars and courses, and updating the existing OSH codes of practice, safety guidelines, training courses and mobile applications, etc, to disseminate and publicise OSH messages to stakeholders in the construction industry, with a view to heightening OSH awareness amongst employers and employees and to cultivating a positive work safety culture, thereby preventing the occurrence of accidents. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Lam Chun-sing and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, in the Legislative Council today (March 13):
      
Question:
 
     Regarding the participation by Hong Kong electors who are on the Mainland in voting in Hong Kong’s elections, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the following information in respect of the various Near Boundary Polling Stations (NBPSs) set up for the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election (the Election): (i) the number of electors allocated to such NBPSs and (ii) the actual number of voters, with a breakdown by polling station (i.e. (a) Covered Playground and (b) Hall of Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School, and (c) Covered Playground and (d) Hall of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kap Yan Directors’ College) (set out in Table 1);
 
Table 1

Polling station	(i)	(ii)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

 
(2) of the voter turnout at each of the NBPSs mentioned in (1) during different time slots of the Election (set out in Table 2);
 
Table 2

Time slot (hourly)	Voter turnout
8:30 am to 9:30 am	(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)
…
11:30 pm to 12:00 midnight

(3) whether it has received on the polling day of the Election any cases in which electors have erroneously gone to NBPSs not allocated to them or the polling stations in Hong Kong originally allocated to them to cast votes; if so, of the number of such cases and the details;
 
(4) given that the Government indicated in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on January 11 last year that it would conduct a more specific study on the implementation of electronic voting, of the current progress and details of the relevant work;
 
(5) whether it has studied the introduction of more measures to facilitate the participation by Hong Kong electors who are on the Mainland in voting in Hong Kong’s elections (including the progress of the study on setting up polling stations on the Mainland), and engaged in regular communications and exchanges of views with stakeholders such as associations of Hong Kong people on the Mainland and related concern groups on the relevant issues; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(6) given that according to the Guidelines on Election-related Activities in respect of the District Council Election, which were updated in September last year, if a Hong Kong permanent resident has left Hong Kong to reside in another place without maintaining connections with Hong Kong or no longer having a principal or only residence in Hong Kong, then the person no longer meets the statutory eligibility requirements for registration, but there are views that the aforesaid measure may result in some Hong Kong people on the Mainland being disqualified from being electors on grounds that they have been absent from Hong Kong for a long period of time without habitual residences, whether the authorities will study relaxing the requirement of “ordinarily residing in Hong Kong” for electors, so as to safeguard the right to vote of Hong Kong people who are on the Mainland; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
(1) The numbers of (i) registered voters; and (ii) voter turnout in the Near Boundary Polling Stations (NBPS) are as follows:

NBPS	(i) registered voters	(ii) voter turnout
Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School (HKTATHMSS)
Covered playground (NB01)	1 330	952
Hall (NB02)	3 449	2 640
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kap Yan Directors’ College (TWGHKYDC)
Covered playground (NB03)	4 211	3 284
Hall (NB04)	3 986	3 115
Total	12 976	9 991

 
(2) The numbers of voter turnout in different time periods in the NBPS are as follows:

Period	NBPS
	HKTATHMSS		TWGHKYDC
	Covered playground (NB01)	Hall   (NB02)	Covered playground (NB03)	Hall  (NB04)
08:30-09:30	121	401	445	450
09:30-10:30	196	514	596	575
10:30-11:30	226	554	699	876
11:30-12:30	136	386	421	349
12:30-13:30	77	253	299	276
13:30-14:30	62	172	222	167
14:30-15:30	50	126	120	145
15:30-16:30	23	90	154	93
16:30-17:30	26	59	99	76
17:30-18:30	9	38	107	33
18:30-19:30	9	27	67	37
19:30-24:00	17	20	55	38
Total	952	2 640	3 284	3 115

(3) During the polling hours, some electors who had registered to vote at the NBPS requested to vote at their originally assigned polling stations due to change in itinerary. The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) exercised discretion and arranged for them to vote at their original polling stations. There were a total of 630 such cases.
 
     There were also individual cases of electors who mistakenly believed that they had registered to vote at the NBPS. Nonetheless, after verification, it was confirmed that NBPS did not have their registration. As the Voter Register in the NBPS did not contain their particulars, the REO could not arrange on the spot for them to vote at the NBPS, and hence appealed to them to return to their original polling stations to cast their votes. These were the isolated cases and the REO did not maintain the relevant statistics.
 
(4) In recent years, the Government has been actively exploring the possibility of adopting electronic means in various procedural steps of elections. Nonetheless, while enhancing efficiency and convenience of elections, it is important to maintain the autonomy and secrecy of the voting process and to ensure that it is conducted in a safe and orderly manner that commands trust of the public. The REO will continue to carefully study the feasibility of electronic voting.
 
(5) The Government has all along emphasised that the proposal to set up polling stations in the Mainland involves a number of legal and operational issues as well as co-ordination with the relevant Mainland authorities. Careful consideration is required to ensure the election can be conducted in a fair, just, clean, safe and orderly manner under such a setup. In view of the substantial number of registered electors now working and living in the Mainland, the Government has been making special arrangements to facilitate them to exercise their right to vote, such as setting up polling stations at the boundary control points for the 2021 Legislative Council General Election and the NBPS for the 2023 District Councils Ordinary Election. In the future, the Government will continue to actively explore appropriate arrangements to facilitate electors in the Mainland to cast their votes.

(6) The requirement for electors to be “ordinarily residing in Hong Kong” is mainly to ensure that electors casting their votes have a connection with the Geographical Constituencies to which they belong. This requirement has been clearly stipulated for the first Legislative Council General Election and the first District Council Ordinary Election since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Generally speaking, if an elector is only temporarily residing and living in the Mainland, and still maintains a certain degree of connection with Hong Kong and is able to provide a principal or sole residential address, his/her electoral status will not be affected. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (March 13):
 
Question:
 
     The first-phase regulation of disposable plastic tableware and other plastic products will commence on the 22nd of next month, prohibiting the sale of specified disposable plastic tableware and the provision of such tableware to takeaway customers as well as the provision of nine types of disposable plastic tableware to dine-in customers at catering premises, and banning the sale and free distribution of a series of disposable plastic products. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as it has been reported that a wave of panic buying of cotton buds and floss picks emerged in the community earlier on since many members of the public were mistaken that they could no longer buy such products after the commencement of the relevant regulation, whether the Government will learn from the experience and step up efforts to disseminate the correct messages to members of the public at an early stage before the commencement of the second-phase regulation;
 
(2) as it has been reported that some operators of small and medium eateries are worried about an increase in their operating costs as a result of the need to shift to non-plastic tableware for the purpose of going “plastic-free”, whether the Government has gained an understanding from them of the implication of going plastic-free on their operating costs, and assessed if eateries’ shift to paper or bamboo tableware will in effect lead to another kind of wastage; if it has, of the details, including the extent of the increase in their operating costs; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) of the expenditure incurred by and the number of downloads of the “Plastic-Free Rewards” mobile application; whether the Government will consider combining it with another application “GREEN$” in order to reduce expenditure and enhance efficiency?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Plastics are difficult to decompose and can remain in the natural environment for over a hundred years. In recent years, scientists have even started to discover micro-plastics in human blood, which gradually threaten human health. “Plastic reduction” and “plastic-free” have become an international consensus in recent years. Different places around the world have implemented measures to regulate disposable plastic products one after another.
 
     In Hong Kong, the relevant legislation for regulating disposable plastic tableware and other plastic products was passed by the Legislative Council in October last year, and will come into effect on April 22 this year. The entire scheme seeks to regulate disposable plastic tableware and other plastic products at source and from their supply. The new legislation is therefore not targeted at the general public. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has launched a series of promotion and training to enhance the understanding of the relevant trades as well as the public on the regulation. The first six months following the implementation of the regulation on April 22 will also be designated as an adaptation period during which the EPD will arrange staff to proactively inspect the operation of relevant business premises, and will focus on promotion and education, as well as to provide appropriate advice to help businesses comply with the requirements under the new legislation.
 
     The reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hak-kan is set out below:
 
(1) To let all sectors of the society understand the content of the regulation, our promotion and education efforts are not only targeted at specific trades but also at the general public.
 
     We have launched the “Cut Plastic Use” thematic website, which provides one-stop information for the public and the trades, including information on the legislation and the various options of alternatives to plastic products. In addition, starting from February 1 this year, we have released the relevant information through various channels (including television and radio) to enhance public understanding of the regulation.
 
     We are aware that there are some misconceptions and concerns on the regulation in the society. In this connection, the EPD has taken proactive and prompt actions to clarify via various government websites and social media platforms, created infographics to address common questions from the public in a lively and easy-to-understand manner, and has established a hotline to address enquiries from the public and the trades.
 
     For the trades, we have been maintaining close communication with various trades and providing appropriate assistance and support. Since different trades have various concerns about the details of the regulation, since January this year, the EPD has been organising a total of 50 online and offline training sessions targeting at different sectors to provide them with comprehensive and focused training.
 
     We will wait until there are sufficient alternatives available in the market before implementing the second phase of the regulation, and there is no implementation timetable at present. Besides, we will learn from the experience of promotion and explanation for the first phase of the regulation, and take into account factors including the effectiveness of implementing the first phase of the regulation, the adaptability of the public, as well as the prevalence and affordability of other alternatives to plastic products, before deciding on the time of implementation of the next phase and the relevant preparatory work, with a view to achieving better results.
 
(2) When determining the types of disposable plastic tableware to be regulated, the Government has fully considered whether the supply of relevant alternatives is mature, available and affordable. Based on the recent market data collected, the prices of non-plastic straws, stirrers, knives, forks, spoons and plates are now comparable to those of ordinary plastic tableware. Many restaurants and eateries have already switched to non-plastic tableware even before the regulation comes into effect.
 
     To assist the trades in procuring compliant alternatives, we have engaged the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) to establish a “Green Tableware Platform” (the Platform) early in January 2022. Currently, the Platform has enlisted more than 60 tableware suppliers and more than 720 compliant non-plastic tableware products verified by the HKQAA.
 
     The EPD has been deploying staff to progressively conduct compliance surveys through on-site visits to some 20 000 small and medium-sized eateries with a view to assisting them in understanding the content of the regulation and adjusting their mode of operation for complying with the regulatory requirements. Besides, the Environment and Conservation Fund has also subsidised local/environmental organisations to visit around 7 000 small-sized eateries from March to April this year to reinforce promotion and education, and give out non-plastic tableware for free for their trial use to assist them in making a smooth transition.
 
     There are views that switching to non-plastic tableware is just another form of waste. However, in fact, the main objective of “plastic-free” is to minimise the damage brought to the environment and ecology as well as human health by plastics that fail to decompose over a long period of time and turn into micro-plastics when they are broken down. Non-plastic materials (such as paper and bamboo) will not cause the problem of micro-plastics. Of course, the Government will also continue to encourage the public and eateries to actively use reusable tableware and promote waste reduction and recycling through different publicity and education campaigns.
 
(3) The development cost of the “Plastic-Free Rewards” mobile application is $1.4 million. As at end February this year, the number of downloads of the mobile application is around 3 000. “Plastic-Free Rewards” has collaborated with the GREEN$ mobile application to allow the public to convert electronic stamps to GREEN$ points or GREEN$ e-coupons through the “Plastic-Free Rewards” mobile application for redeeming reusable tableware sets or other daily commodities at the GREEN@COMMUNITY network. There are around 20 000 times of stamp collection and gift redemption via the mobile application. 
 
     Since the number of downloads of the GREEN$ mobile application has reached 500 000, we will explore merging the “Plastic-Free Rewards” mobile application with the GREEN$ mobile application, with a view to expanding its coverage and also allowing the public to practise “waste reduction” and go “plastic-free” in a one-stop manner.
 
     Thank you, President. read more

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, in the Legislative Council today (March 13):

Question:

     The new regulatory regime for autonomous vehicles (AVs) came into effect on March 1 this year, providing a regulatory framework for the trial and use of AVs in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the aforesaid regulatory framework mainly regulates the conduct of AV trials, whether the authorities have plans to establish vehicle design standards for AVs running on public roads in the future;

(2) whether it has plans to progressively open up more public roads to allow the conduct of larger-scale AV trials under more authentic road conditions; if so, of the details; if not, the plans in place to promote the trial and use of AVs; and

(3) whether it will consider stepping up communication with members of the autonomous driving industry for providing in the road infrastructure the requisite vehicle-to-everything and infrastructural facilities for the application of autonomous driving technology?

Reply:

President,
 
     The Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong and the Smart Mobility Roadmap for Hong Kong published by the Government in 2017 and 2019 respectively promulgated, among others, the facilitation of trials of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Hong Kong. In the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong 2.0 published in December 2020, one of the smart mobility initiatives is to facilitate the technology advancement and industry development in AVs and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) with a vision of realising the trial and use of AVs on public roads in Hong Kong. Since 2017, the Transport Department (TD) has been issuing movement permits for the purposes of AV trials. To facilitate wider trials and application of AVs by the industry in Hong Kong, the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the TD amended the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) and made a new piece of subsidiary legislation to provide a flexible regulatory framework for AVs. The new AV regulatory regime has come into operation on March 1 this year.
 
     In consultation with the TD, my consolidated reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee is as follows:
 
(1) When making the new legislation for AVs, the Government has taken into account the technological development on the Mainland and in other regions across the world, and has adopted relevant AV standards, such as the national standard on Taxonomy of Driving Automation for Vehicles (GB/T 40429-2021) as well as the SAE International’s J3016 standard. In tandem with the AV regulatory framework which comes into effect on March 1 this year, the TD has issued the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles (the CoP). The CoP sets out the detailed technical, safety and operational requirements of trial and use of AVs. The CoP also provides guidance on the requirements of vehicle design and construction of AVs (e.g. software update of the AV system, the switching between manual mode and autonomous mode and failure warning of the AV, etc). Besides, the construction of the AV must comply with the requirements of the vehicle class as provided in the Road Traffic Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation. As technology continues to develop, vehicle design standards of AVs may also evolve. The TD will update the CoP in a timely manner and review relevant laws to tie in with the latest development of the AV technology.
 
(2) and (3) The TD set up the Technical Advisory Committee on the Application of Autonomous Vehicle Technologies in Hong Kong in 2019 to explore with the industry, representatives of relevant research institutions and experts how best to draw up an appropriate regulatory framework for the wider trial and application of AVs in Hong Kong.

     To ensure that the regulatory regime is flexible and be able to cope with the technological development, the new AV legislation does not limit the area or scale of AV trials. Applicants may consider and propose the area or scale of trials based on their objectives of trial and use of AVs and apply to the TD for an AV Pilot Licence.

     The Government has all along been providing funding support to scientific research projects involving autonomous driving and relevant technologies in a proactive manner. We launched the $1 billion Smart Traffic Fund (STF) in 2021 to provide funding support to local organisations or enterprises for conducting research and application on vehicle-related innovation and technology. To date, there are seven approved projects that are related to AV and V2X technologies. The road sections under trials cover public roads and various application scenarios, such as the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Hong Kong Science Park and individual private residential estates. In addition, it is expected that the Airport Authority Hong Kong will begin to deploy its autonomous transportation system from 2025 onwards and carry passengers on the AirportCity Link which connects the SKYCITY and the Hong Kong Port Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

     Currently, the development of global AV technology can be divided into two main streams, one of which is the “Single Vehicle Intelligence” technology, which relies solely on different sensors such as cameras and radars installed on the AVs to make the vehicle itself capable of autonomous driving. The another technology is known as “Vehicle-Road Coordination”, which achieves autonomous driving on the basis of “Single Vehicle Intelligence” and by means of V2X and roadside units. Through real-time information sharing in the V2X system, appropriate reports and warnings are instantly generated to alert road users and AV systems, thus improving road safety and enhancing transport efficiency. With the support of the STF, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has been conducting AV trials and application of advanced cellular V2X. The Innovation and Technology Fund under the Innovation and Technology Commission also provides funding for the ASTRI to conduct technical studies and field trial projects relating to V2X systems.

     Last year, the Government proposed in the Traffic and Transport Strategy Study to promote the development of AVs. On the basis of the above regulatory framework and funding support for research projects, the Government will continue to closely liaise with members of the industry to promote the introduction of more trial and use of AVs and V2X related technologies, so as to provide the public with more opportunities to take a trial ride on AVs, thereby enhancing the public awareness of AVs. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Frankie Yick and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, in the Legislative Council today (March 13):

Question:

     There are views pointing out that while the Government is committed to developing green transport, the promotion of green air transport is still at an early stage. On the other hand, the International Air Transport Association adopted a resolution at its meeting in 2021 to set a target for the global air transport industry to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the current situation of flights to and from Hong Kong using sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), including the percentage of such flights using SAFs in the total number of such flights and the total carbon emissions that can be reduced;

(2) of the measures in place to encourage more flights to and from Hong Kong to use SAFs;

(3) of the measures in place to facilitate the development of Hong Kong as an important SAF bunkering hub in the region, so as to tie in with the use of SAFs by more flights in the future; and

(4) as “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address” has mentioned that the Airport Authority Hong Kong will formulate an action plan to drive airlines’ use of SAFs for bunkering their flights in Hong Kong, of the expected completion time of the action plan?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Frankie Yick is as follows:

     In October 2022, the International Civil Aviation Organization set a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and identified sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a key tool for achieving this goal. Depending on the production process and technology, SAF has the potential to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by more than 80 per cent as compared with conventional fossil aviation fuels.

     The existing fuel infrastructure at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is already capable of receiving, storing and adopting pre-blended SAF by airlines. One of the local airlines in Hong Kong successfully adopted two batches of SAF at the HKIA in March and July 2022. However, the overall supply of SAF worldwide remains on the low side.

     The AAHK is actively implementing measures to promote the application of SAF at the HKIA, including co-ordinating the operators of the HKIA fuel infrastructure to obtain the sustainability standard certification of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, with a view to assisting airlines to conduct the relevant carbon offsetting. The relevant work was completed in end-2023 and annual renewal of the certification will be conducted thereafter. The AAHK has also worked with relevant Government departments to streamline the approval process for the transportation and storage of SAF to facilitate the uplift of SAF by airlines in Hong Kong. In particular, the operators of the HKIA fuel infrastructure have recently completed the renewal of their licenses in accordance with the newly amended Dangerous Goods Ordinance. The amended Dangerous Goods Ordinance has brought the regulatory standards for classification, marking and labelling of dangerous goods (including SAF) in Hong Kong in line with international standards, and enhanced the licensing system for the manufacture, conveyance, storage and use of dangerous goods. The AAHK will continue to review and as necessary further improve the process of transportation and storage of SAF at the fuel infrastructure of the HKIA.

     In addition, on the Government’s request, the AAHK commenced a consultancy study on SAF in February this year. The purpose of the study is to grasp the development trend of SAF, including the current status and future projection regarding its demand, supply and usage, at the international, national and regional levels. The consultancy study will also make recommendations on the use and supply of SAF from such aspects as policy support, facilitation measures or infrastructure improvements, for the Government’s consideration. The study is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year. The Government will make reference to the AAHK’s report and make forward-looking plans to set the direction for promoting the development of SAF. Our objective is to enhance the competitiveness of the HKIA internationally and attract more flights between Hong Kong and the rest of the world by promoting the use of SAF in Hong Kong. read more