When the Government announced its proposed new AQOs at the end of July, we knew that the public consultation period would not be sufficiently long to mobilize widespread support throughout the general public. Rather, we knew that it would take at least one year of grassroots outreach and a sustained multi-platform marketing and PR campaign to get the issue on the radar of the Hong Kong people, let alone get them to actually care about it.
The EPD has told us that the Government will only finalize the AQOs through the issuance of a Technical Memorandum supplementing the Air Pollution Control Ordinance “before the end of next year”. Considering how long it has taken to introduce the anti-engine idling ordinance into LegCo (2 years approximately) after a similar public consultation process, it is safe to say that the new AQOs will not be promulgated before Q4 of next year.
That gives us one more year within which to continue to educate and mobilize public opinion about air pollution. To the end, we will continue to circulate the Petition for Clean Air through at least Q3 of next year.
To date, we have made significant progress. We are working with District Councillors in virtually all districts of Hong Kong and many major household name corporations have agreed to lend us a big helping hand. Some of these include CSL, CLSA, the MTR, TVB, California Fitness, to name just some of the best-known names. In the relative scheme of things, though, we have just begun to get underway.
Here are the things that you can continue to do, which will make a difference to our efforts:
Thank you for your continued support as we go forward!
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