The Environmental Protection Department announced today (27th) that Hong Kong's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 will be 33.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, a decrease of about 16% compared with 2019. The main reason is that the proportion of coal in the power generation fuel mix has decreased to 24%, while Natural gas rose sharply to 48%.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 caused Hong Kong's total greenhouse gas emissions in the same year to be 33.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, a decrease of about 16% compared with 2019 and a new low since 2001 (33.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent).
Power generation and other energy industries were still the main sources of local GHG emissions, accounting for 60.4% of the total emissions. Other major emission sources were the transport sector (19.7%) and waste treatment (8.7%).
Among them, the greenhouse gas emissions from waste treatment are the highest since 1990 in the following year.
The EPA explained that the proportion of coal in the power generation fuel mix will decrease from about 44% in 2019 to about 24% in 2020 (that is, coal-fired power generation will decrease by more than 45% in one year), and the proportion of natural gas will decrease from 29% Significantly increased to 48% (ie, the increase of gas-fired power generation by more than 60% in one year).
Trends of GHG emissions in Hong Kong from 1990 to 2020.
(Photo by EPA)
Greenhouse gas emissions per capita fall to new low of 4.5 metric tons
During the same period, the population decreased by about 0.4%, and the per capita greenhouse gas emissions were about 4.5 metric tons, a decrease of about 16% compared with 2019, and a decrease of about 27% compared with the peak of about 6.2 metric tons in 2014, which is also a new low after 1990.
As for carbon intensity, it was 0.013 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per Hong Kong dollar of GDP, a decrease of about 10% from 2019 and a 42% decrease from the base year value of 2005.
AI estimates the amount of weather, people, and cooling capacity to correspond to the future trend of high-efficiency air-conditioning units to reduce carbon emissions. The number of hours of air quality exceeding the standard increased by 35% last year. Yuen Long soared 60%. Electric vehicles and airport runways are fully equipped with LED lights. NWFB and Citybus introduce hydrogen energy buses. In 2023, the zero-emission bus service will require an investment of 30 billion yuan. The new gas-fired generator set of CLP will be put into operation and will reduce carbon emissions by 1 million tons per year.