Public Opinion

Last fall, Greenpeace conducted a survey of Hong Kong residents’ attitudes towards air pollution and the Government’s current review of our air quality standards (Air Quality Objectives or AQOs):

• Over 70% of those surveyed said they would be willing to pay for air that meets the tightest World Health Organization (WHO) standards, termed “Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs)”. This conclusion flies in the face of the Environmental Protection Department’s repeated assertions that the public is unwilling to shoulder higher bus fares and electric bills in exchange for cleaner air.
• 70% want the Government to review the Air Quality Objectives regularly, between every one to three years.
• 35% of respondents regard vehicle emissions as the main reason for the increase in air pollution. Surprisingly, only 16% blamed the worsening pollution on Guangdong.