The Outlook for the Environment 1997 and Beyond

Mrs. Mei Ng, Director of Friends of the Earth, was the Foundation's guest speaker on 17 March 1997. This is a summarised version of her speech.

According to the Territorial Development Strategy Review (TDSR) released by the Government last year, there will be a population increase of 1.5 to 1.8 million by the year 2011. As a result the TDSR predicts that the increase in sewage load will exceed the carrying capacity of our water bodies, the traffic load will degrade air quality and exceed noise standards, and our landfills will run out of space. Do we have other options? Do we have an alternative vision for our future? Do we have enough information to make the choices about our future? Do the six million Hong Kong people have the right to know?

Behind closed doors

For decades, the Colonial executive-led government made their policy decisions behind closed doors. The meetings of the Executive Council and most of the over 300 advisory bodies to the Government are not open to the public. The members of these bodies are appointed by the Governor. Industrialists and business representatives are nominated to the environmental advisory bodies but the privilege is not reciprocated for environmentalists to sit on the industry or trade committees. There is a general unwillingness to involve the public in the decision making process. There are no specific guidelines for public consultation procedures. There are no "meet the public" or townhall forums for public scrutiny of strategic development plans.

In a black box

The restriction on access to information is depriving the public of the right to know how government policies are being formulated. The controversy over the The Executive Council's decision to approve the building of new power plants by the China Light & Power company is a classic example. Friends of the Earth (FoE) were denied access to the million dollar consultancy study on the estimation of Hong Kong's future energy demand. Similar denials were repeated with our requests for a full public report on the stoppage and further slippage of the $20 billion dollar Sewage Strategy. The public outcry against the extensive harbour reclamation is another testimony to the fact that Hong Kong people are being deprived of the right to know.

The "one option syndrome"

The linear thinking mentality of our policy makers is particularly worrying. The way to meet our energy demand needs is to keep building more power plants instead of promoting energy efficiency. The way to deal with increasing waste is to keep building landfills instead of promoting waste minimization. The way to dispose of our daily 2 million tonnes of untreated sewage is to partially treat it and pipe it into China waters instead of promoting clean production and water conservation. The way to solve traffic jams is to keep building more roads instead of improving public mass transport and town planning. The cheapest and quickest option to provide more land is to reclaim the harbour! Because of this linear thinking, Hong Kong is going on an unsustainable path. It's time for Hong Kong to shed our "developing country" status and move on to the ranks of progressive developing countries. If not, Hong Kong appears to be backward, and we shall be made to pay a very high price with our environment and our quality of life.

The blind leading the blind

Our policy decisions are based on misleading information or insufficient data. The GDP is being presented as the only indicator of the growth and well-being of six million people but it fails to include non-monetary aspects of society such as a clean environment, a stable community, health and natural assets. The Government's lack of willingness to find out the true cost of pollution is unacceptable. The absence of health and social impact data due to air, water and noise pollution is inexcusable. We have no idea how much air pollution costs. Loss of productivity? Community health care? How much does traffic congestion cost? What savings can be gained in promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy? Our government has no idea what natural assets need immediate protection nor has it any idea that Hong Kong has resource to develop renewable energy. It does not believe in setting up conservation and energy departments.

Business as usual

The lack of urgency to reform and rethink existing policies is hurting Hong Kong's competitiveness. There is a general complacency towards maintaining outdated policies such as the Scheme of Control to allow utility companies to make money out of building more power plants, to tolerate illegal dumping and development encroachment into our countryside without the commitment to expedite the zoning process to cover the whole New Territories. An investigation by Friends of the Earth revealed that pipe leakages and excess capacity water (purchased from China) led to overflow from reservoirs and Hong Kong people are made to squander $360 million a year. Inspite of the fact that China's own water shortage is becoming critical, our Water Supplies Department is not prepared to renegotiate the water supply agreement to avoid wastage of precious resources. We cannot continue the business as usual approach because the six million Hong Kong people will be the losers in the end.

Borrowed time, borrowed place

Hong Kong people's lingering "refugee mentality" has not helped to motivate more community concern for their long term quality of life. The "Borrowed Time Borrowed Place" mentality perpetuates the indifference of the silent majority. There have been no resources and strategy to promote public environmental awareness. Environmental education has been a low priority of the Government. The Government Information Services and the media are not proactive in spreading the message. The community hardly understands what sustainable development is all about. It's time to help the people develop long term vision.

The Wrong message

If a building contractor is only fined $20,000 for its 21st offence or its failure to comply with the requirements of a noise abatement notice, then what kind of message is being sent out to the public? Abusing the environment is no crime and liability can be discharged by paying one's way out. The Laissez Faire principle of our colonial government is gaining on economic growth but losing out on quality of life. The government could be seen as the biggest polluter filling in our harbour, dumping toxic mud and untreated sewage into our waters, encroaching into our Country Parks for landfills. We have to stop being naive to believe that voluntary compliance or attitude and behaviour change will eventually happen to a materialistic society such as Hong Kong. We need strict enforcement and stiff penalties to make the polluters pay.

Prescription for sustainable development

Ignorance, apathy and greed are the enemies of the environment. Through long term environmental education and research we should try to provide information for the public and our policy secretaries to make informed choices about out environment. Friends of the Earth recommends the following prescription for sustainable development:

1. To reform the mandate of the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC). It should be modeled as a Green Consumer Council to undertake research and testing of products and production processes and to disseminate information on life cycle analysis of materials for consumption and production. To undertake the development of eco-labeling and consumer education.
   
   
2. To develop a comprehensive environmental education strategy for the public. To set up a council for environmental education with the cooperation between the ECC, the green groups and the Consumer Council, with the support of the Education, Housing, Planning, Agriculture and Fisheries, Health, Water Supplies, Government Information Services, Industry and Labour departments.
   
   
3. To combat apathy it is necessary to offer incentives. Research into the possibilities of offering tax incentives, subsidies and sponsorship for promoting and piloting cleaner production, renewable energy and green products. Set up a permanent exhibition and resource centre to introduce and create markets for the latest alternative technology and products.
   
   
4. To tighten laws and enforcement and to increase penalties for polluters. To consider introducing personal liability and criminal implications for repeated offenders of the environment.
   
   
5. Improve communication and cooperation among different government departments. Establish specific departments to develop and implement policies on conservation and energy. Make government departments and advisory bodies more transparent and accountable by opening committee meetings and setting up specific guidelines for comprehensive public consultation.
   
   
6. To set up the Chief Executive's Council on Sustainable Development to coordinate strategic planning and cooperation efforts with our neighbours in the Pearl River Delta.

Conclusion: "A silver lining"

Friends of the Earth is happy to report that our pilot scheme in promoting environmentally friendly housekeeping practices in the Tseung Kwun O public housing estates has yielded encouraging results. Since its launch of the "Adopt A Housing Estate project" in 1995, FoE successfully convinced residents of Chung Ming Housing Estates to cut back on flushing water by placing a filled PET bottle into the toilet tanks. At the same time building management agreed to repair any leaking tanks. The results are telling. In October 1995, Block A paid $17,549 in water and sewage charges over a four month period. One year later, the bill was slashed by two-thirds to $5800. Blocks D and E enjoyed even more savings. With October 1995 bills of $35,904 and $9485 respectively, both blocks reduced their bills to zero by November 1996!

Waste minimization and resources conservation is the way forward to achieve sustainable development for Hong Kong. Friends of the Earth's research paper on sustainable development Agenda 2047 has identified an alternative development vision for Hong Kong. It is through long term public education, incentives provision and successful pilot schemes that Hong Kong people will be convinced that saving the environment also saves money, saves lives and makes the world a better and healthier place to live.

As Hong Kong is preparing for a historical change, there is an opportunity to overhaul our existing development direction and change for the better. There is no time to waste to regain our stolen future.

The above summary does not necessarily represent the views of the Hong Kong Democratic Foundation.