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The Clean Air Charter - A Business Guidebook

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Quality environment is an issue close to the heart of the whole community. None of us tolerate foul air. As Asia's world city, Hong Kong should show the world our commitment to protecting the environment. The Government will take vigorous measures to make sustained improvement to air quality, hand in hand with the community. We are pleased to see the business sector stepping forward with the Clean Air Charter and publishing this Business Guidebook, which gives practical advice on how enterprises may help implement environment-friendly measures in their daily operations. We fully support this meaningful initiative.

We all live under the same sky. Let us work together with determination and shared responsibility for a cleaner and bluer sky.

The Honourable Donald Tsang
The Chief Executive


Through Project CLEAN AIR, we have successfully engaged the Government, business and the community into a collective clean air effort. The Clean Air Charter has also reflected the growing commitment of the business sector to contribute to cleaner air for all. I encourage all members of the business community to implement clean production and operation, working together to restore a blue sky to Hong Kong and the PRD.

David Eldon
Chairman, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (2005-2007)

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Many local and international companies in Hong Kong have a shared common goal ¡Ð we must foster economic growth in ways that also protect our environment. Therefore, it is time for us to go beyond signing the Clean Air Charter to put these commitments into practices. I believe that businesses will find this Guidebook useful in formulating their own clean air programmes.

James Graham
Convenor, Hong Kong Business Coalition on the Environment (2004-2007)

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Preface

Tackling air pollution requires the collective effort of the whole community. This is why the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) and the Hong Kong Business Coalition on the Environment (BCE) launched Project CLEAN AIR, to engage the Government, the business sector and the community together in promoting the clean air message.

The Clean Air Charter is the focus of Project CLEAN AIR. The Charter comprises six statements, representing the business sector's voluntary commitment to reducing air pollution. The HKGCC and BCE regularly organise educational and outreach programmes to support Charter signatories and to help promote the Charter. This Business Guidebook is a general reference to provide advice on implementing the Charter commitments through air quality management.

Air pollutants come from many sources, and it is not the intention of this Guidebook to cover every aspect of air pollution in every industry. Instead, we focus on ways of reducing emissions from businesses in common situations. The guide provides information on management measures that can be adopted for energy consumption, transport and general manufacturing processes. While not everything in this document may be applicable to all, we believe that every company can find a way to get started immediately, whether it is an energy-saving measure in the office or a comprehensive emissions reduction plan.

Please sign the Clean Air Charter if you have not already done so, and put the guidelines and recommendations of this Guidebook into practice. A blue sky for Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta is possible. Together, we can make a difference!

Project CLEAN AIR Website
www.cleanair.hk

27 November 2006

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Taking Action to Save Our Air

Protecting our air is the responsibility of every business!

The Clean Air Charter is a campaign that seeks the business community's involvement on a wholly voluntary, best effort basis. As businesses vary from sector to sector, the Charter is a statement of general principles to encourage the implementation of an energy and emissions reduction programme in accordance with the individual nature of each company.

Charter's Commitments

Relevant to Business Sectors

1. Operate to a recognized world class standard, or the standards established by the Hong Kong / Guangdong governments on emissions of air pollutants, even if it is not a requirement to do so here.

Industrial operations, power plants and businesses with direct emissions

2. Use continuous emissions monitors (CEMs) at significant sources, e.g. large and medium plants.

Large/medium industrial operationsand power plants

3. Publish information on energy and fuel use, as well as total emissions of air pollutants annually and timely, if emissions are significant.

All businesses

4. Undertake to adopt energy-efficient measures in their operations.

All businesses

5. Identify and encourage business-relevant measures to be taken on days when air pollution is high.

All businesses

6. Share air quality expertise in business with others.

All businesses

Air emissions reduction and energy conservation measures can be easily implemented and incorporated into daily business operations. To help businesses get started, this Guidebook introduces an Energy/Emissions Management (EEM) System that provides step-by-step guidance on how to reduce air emissions and energy consumption.

Specifically, the Guidebook provides:

  • An approach, and associated references, to enable readers to identify their companies' contributions to air emissions and energy consumption;
  • A strategy for establishing corporate emissions reduction or energy saving targets with the support of senior management;
  • Examples of energy saving and air emissions control measures; and
  • A system for monitoring and reporting performance.

An overview of the EEM Strategy is illustrated in the following flowchart. The EEM Strategy can be implemented on its own or as part of a company's Environmental Management System (EMS).

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