Home > Chapter 3 - Environmental Management and Performance

Chapter 3 - Environmental Management and Performance

(A) Providing Aesthetically Pleasing Open Space and Promoting Greening and Horticulture

3.1

In providing aesthetically pleasing open space and promoting greening and horticulture, we have five areas of work. They are –

Provision of open spaces that are aesthetically pleasing;
Beautification of existing landscaped areas;
Planting programme;
Education and promotion on environmental protection; and
Greening activities.

(I) Provision of Open Spaces that are Aesthetically Pleasing

3.2	In 2022, five new open space facilities (including capital works projects and minor works projects) were opened, resulting in an increase of about 0.195 hectares of open space in Hong Kong. A list of these new facilities is shown at Annex I.

3.3

In general, 70% of the passive recreation areas will be used as landscape areas. Conspicuous flowering and shade trees, colour foliage and flowering shrubs of hardy species will be chosen to create colour contrast and seasonal changes. We aim to achieve sustainable landscaping through selection of more low maintenance and native plant species.

3.4

When planning new open space projects, the facility will be designed and constructed with consideration to environmental performance, such as application of energy-saving building services installations and use of environmental-friendly materials such as products with high recycled content. Appropriate materials should be used for creating a user-friendly and comfortable environment, and to achieve low recurrent maintenance cost. Apart from new open space projects, there are on-going improvement and upgrading works to existing parks and playgrounds.

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(II) Beautification of Existing Landscaped Areas

3.5

In 2022, about 24 hectares of existing landscaped areas (including roadside amenity areas) were upgraded through the effort of district staff in carrying out landscape improvement works. We would continue to enhance the landscaping of parks and roadside amenity areas in order to provide a pleasant environment to the public.

Beautification of Existing Landscape Areas

Beautification of Existing Landscape Areas

(III) Planting Programme

3.6	Around 2.65 million trees, shrubs and annuals were planted in 2022 (breakdown at Annex II). We have continued the planting of flowering species to enhance the visual impact with more seasonal colours.

(IV) Education and Promotion on Environmental Protection

(a)	Horticulture Courses for the General Public
3.7	In 2022, we conducted 36 horticulture courses for 716 participants.

(b)

Guided Visits for Schools and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs)

3.8

A total of 229 guided visits for 5 090 participants from schools and NGOs were organised in 2022, which included 157 school guided visits for 3 799 school children at the Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens, Green Education and Resource Centre, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Park, Tai Po Waterfront Park and Tuen Mun Park. The guided visits were designed having regard to the curriculum on environmental education for primary schools. A total of 69 visits were also arranged for 1 212 children from kindergartens to tour around the Kowloon Park and Hong Kong Park. Children were introduced the basic knowledge and concept of plants, environmental conservation and the appropriate manners for visiting parks. Besides, free guided visits were arranged for 79 participants from three NGOs to tour around the Green Education and Resource Centre at the Kowloon Park.

Education and Promotion on Environmental Protection A

(c)	Conservation Courses for Uniformed Groups
3.9	The programmes provided a wide range of courses in gardening and arboriculture and aimed at promoting nature conservation. A total of seven conservation courses were organised for some 100 participants of the uniformed groups in 2022. Participants were involved in group discussions, lectures and guided visits.

(d)

Programmes and Exhibitions on Environmental Protection

3.10

To arouse public awareness on environmental issues, the Hong Kong Science Museum and Hong Kong Space Museum staged exhibitions and organised various programmes, including –

public lectures on environmental protection, green technology, sustainable development and ecological conservation;
a scientist sharing session of “Coral Mom” on coral conservation and environmental protection;
a few sessions of “Banner Upcycling – Card Holder Workshop” on the promotion of sustainable lifestyle;
an exhibition on “The Big Eight – Dinosaur Revelation” which inspired visitors on the story of evolution and the challenges threatening our future such as global warming, extreme weather events and biodiversity loss; and
the research project “Hong Kong Night Sky Brightness Monitoring Network” on light pollution was conducted by the Hong Kong Space Museum, in collaboration with the Department of Physics of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), between September 2010 and July 2017. Funded by the Environment and Conservation Fund initially, the project aimed at carrying out a comprehensive monitoring of the condition of light pollution in Hong Kong by studying the night sky brightness at about 18 urban and rural locations, including the Hong Kong Space Museum, iObservatory and Astropark. The Hong Kong Space Museum has continued to collaborate with the Department of Physics of HKU via the research project “Globe at Night – Sky Brightness Monitoring Network”, which is the overseas extension of the previous cooperation between the Museum and HKU, since July 2017. In addition, the Hong Kong Space Museum organised various activities, including public seminars, student competitions and exhibitions to spread more widely the message of reducing light pollution.

(V) Greening Activities

3.11	The Department continuously promotes a green culture in the community through a series of educational and community involvement programmes. A total of 2 554 greening activities were organised in 2022, including –

(a)

Hong Kong Flower Show

3.12

The Hong Kong Flower Show 2022, originally scheduled to be held at Victoria Park from
11 to 20 March 2022, was cancelled in order to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 epidemic. To celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and allow wide participation by the community in sharing the festive joy, the Department ran the Blossom Around Town programme from June to October 2022 for enhancing the public appreciation of gorgeous landscape displays and beautiful floral arrangements. The beautification works had been carried out in phases at parks and roadside amenity areas in various districts. Works included displays of colourful flowers and attractive plants with ornamental value to create a cheerful community atmosphere and enhance the cityscape across the territory. This programme was one of the many initiatives supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s donation to the Government of the HKSAR to mark the 25^th Anniversary of the Establishment of the HKSAR.

Hong Kong Flower Show

(b)	Community Planting Day
3.13	The Department organised Community Planting Days to promote public awareness in greening. However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, all originally scheduled planting events in 2022 were cancelled.

(c)	Green Volunteer Scheme
3.14	Green Volunteers were recruited in 18 districts to serve as stewards in greening promotion activities, and to assist in tree surveillance work and report problematic trees. They were encouraged to participate in greening their neighbourhood. In 2022, 81 greening activities were organised for the Green Volunteers with an attendance of about 3 900.

(d)	Greening School Subsidy Scheme
3.15	In 2022, the Scheme attracted the participation of 890 schools and kindergartens for organising greening activities and implementing planting projects in their campuses with technical advice from horticultural instructors.

(e)	“One Person, One Flower” Scheme
3.16	The Scheme aimed at enhancing the knowledge of students about plants and cultivating their interests in growing them. In 2022, about 385 000 seedlings were distributed to students for them to nurture at home or in school.

(f)	Greening Hong Kong Activities Subsidy Scheme
3.17	The Scheme aimed at encouraging the local community to organise more greening activities. In 2022, three organisations were subsidised under this Scheme to organise floral exhibition and horticultural workshop.

(g)	Greening Exhibitions and Talks
3.18	Greening exhibitions and talks on horticulture were organised at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens and Green Education and Resource Centre at the Kowloon Park in 2022 with a view to educating and arousing public awareness in greening. A total of 205 exhibitions and talks were organised with some 18 000 participants.

(h)	Community Garden Programme
3.19	To encourage the public to participate actively in greening activities at the neighbourhood level and to adopt greening activities as part of daily life, 56 gardening courses were organised in 2022 with about 3 550 participants.

(i)	Outreaching Greening Promotional Activities
3.20	The Department organised outreaching greening activities to promote greening and enhance public awareness in greening and environmental protection. In 2022, roving exhibitions at 32 leisure venues in 18 districts were arranged and attracted 21 180 visitors. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the outreaching promotional activities to organisations and schools were suspended.

(B) Preserving Cultural Heritage

3.21

The Department, through the Conservation Office (CO), is committed to preserving all forms of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage. The CO provides conservation support for thematic exhibitions and preservation care and treatment for all collections pertaining to the public museums, Art Promotion Office and Intangible Cultural Heritage Office.

3.22	The CO devises, implements and evaluates conservation programmes for museum artifacts and heritage objects. Over the year, there were 430 objects and collections with various degree of deterioration treated and protected by the CO’s professional conservators.

3.23

Besides, the CO conducts technical examination and scientific studies on cultural heritage to support conservation work. In 2022, the CO conducted an extensive study on the emission of volatile pollutants in the display and storage environments of museums, with a focus on the ultra-trace level of corrosive gases. The findings provided valuable information in determining conservation strategies to mitigate the emission of pollutants within the museum environment.

the CO conducts technical examination and scientific studies on cultural heritage to support conservation work

3.24

The CO is dedicated to raising the awareness and support for conservation at all levels of the community by organising educational programmes and extension activities. In 2022, the CO supported and organised a variety of education programmes and activities for students and members of the public, such as the School Culture Day Scheme, the Muse Fest HK 2022 as well as a live streaming programme “Conservation Clinic on Silverware” on the “LCSD Plusss” Facebook page.

CO is dedicated to raising the awareness and support for conservation at all levels of the community by organising educational programmes and extension activities

3.25

It is firmly believed that cultural heritage not only provides an essential and irreplaceable link between the past, the present and the future, but is also fundamental to the sustainable development of our community as it forms the basic point of reference for our cultural identity, traditions and collective memory.

3.26	To ensure the continuous survival and well-being of cultural heritage, conservation, as well as community’s active engagement, are indispensable.

(C) Practising Waste Reduction and Energy Saving

3.27	We proactively explore ways to promote paper saving, energy saving and waste reduction, including conducting energy audits to identify good energy management practices. Measures/housekeeping practices adopted are detailed in the ensuing paragraphs.

(I) Paper Saving

3.28

The Department continued to adopt good practices on paper saving using “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” strategy, particularly in replacing paper-based correspondences with electronic means. In 2022, we made the following endeavours –

we provided an electronic newspaper clipping service to the Department’s Lotus Notes users to ensure that the number of hard copies is kept at a minimum;
we produced e-versions of the departmental yearbook and departmental Christmas cards only;
library users were given the options to receive some library notices through e-mail or library mobile app on smart phones to economise on the use of paper. As at 31 December 2022, over 615 000 registered borrowers have opted for the e-mail notification and over 711 000 times of download of library mobile app was recorded. In addition, 368 469 kg of unserviceable library materials were recycled in 2022;
museums and Hong Kong Film Archive, Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre and Oil Street Art Space also reduced waste by recycling exhibition materials and placed collection boxes for collecting used guide maps/pamphlets disposed of by patrons after their visits for recycling purpose;
performance venues and programming offices used electronic means to publicise performing arts programmes and collect feedback. Admission letters to schools rather than individual URBTIX tickets were issued for student group admission of performances. Printing of flyers and house programmes was reduced by tightly monitoring distribution and minimising the pages printed. In addition, unused copies of flyers and house programmes were recycled and electronic version of publicity materials like posters and house programmes were further adopted as far as possible;
most of the performance venues and some museums, such as Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong Space Museum and Sam Tung Uk Museum, etc. also installed digital screens/electronic monitors to replace conventional foam boards or paper posters for programme promotion;
in line with the Government’s initiative of paper saving, the tenders and quotations issued by the Supplies Section were made in electronic format (i.e. by means of CD-rom) and suppliers were encouraged to adopt environmental-friendly measures in the preparation of tender/quotation documents (such as using recycled paper) and to minimise the use of packaging materials. Besides, about 77% of the paper we consumed in 2022 was recycled paper; and
to reduce or completely replace the use of papery publicity materials and application forms, a newly created online platform, “Art Connect: Arts and Culture Platform for Hong Kong Schools”, was fully launched in 2021. It mainly serves as a channel for schools’ submission of applications for participating in the performances and activities of the educational schemes co-ordinated by the Audience Building Office. As at 31 December 2022, more than 1 315 schools have registered as users of this online platform.

(II) Energy Saving

3.29

The Government has set a new “Green Energy Target” which seeks to further improve its use of energy by 6% for the period between 2020-21 and 2024-25, using comparable operating conditions in 2018-19 as the baseline. We shall play an active role to achieve the set goal and strive to integrate green features in our buildings/venues and adopt green practices as far as practicable.

(a)

Change in Energy Consumption

3.30

The energy consumption of government buildings/venues under LCSD in 2018-19 and 2022-23 is tabulated below –

	Energy consumption (million kWh)	Energy consumption under comparable operating conditions (million kWh)
2018-19 (baseline)	490.0	Not applicable
2022-23	464.4 (-5.2%)	453.1 (-7.6%)

3.31

The total energy consumption of government buildings/venues under LCSD decreased by 5.2% in 2022-23 as compared to 2018-19. Under the comparable operating conditions in 2018-19, there was a decrease of 7.6% in energy consumption in 2022-23. We will continue to implement various practicable housekeeping measures and best practices for energy saving as detailed under paragraphs 3.33 to 3.35 below.

3.32

The change in energy consumption has factored in significant changes in opening/closure of venues/facilities, addition/reduction of services, addition/removal of plants/equipment, extended/shortened service hours, increased/decreased demand for services, change of chairmanship of Building Management Committee¹, etc. for a like-with-like comparison.

¹	The energy consumption of a Municipal Services Building is counted towards the department holding the Building Management Committee chairmanship.

(b)

Housekeeping Measures for Energy Saving

3.33

The following housekeeping measures for energy saving were commonly adopted in the Department’s offices and venues (including leisure venues, performance venues, libraries and museums) in 2022 –

maintaining the 25.5°C office room temperature target set by the Government for the summer months in general. At places such as museums, libraries, sports centres and performance venues where we could not strictly maintain this temperature due to operational reasons and/or customer service considerations, we worked closely with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to keep the temperature as close to 25.5°C as practicable;
switching off air-conditioners in facilities/meeting rooms which have separate air-conditioning control right after use and reducing cooling for premises with central air-conditioning control when occupancy is low (such as on weekends, lunch time or after office hours);
using high-efficiency lighting systems (fluorescent tubes with electronic ballasts, motion/occupancy sensors and optical fibres) and energy-efficient lamps such as T5 and LED lighting to achieve energy saving as far as possible. For example, all the T5 lamps in San Po Kong Public Library were replaced by LED lamps during renovation in 2022;
rationalising the numbers of fluorescent lamps and operating hours of offices/venues lightings as appropriate to reduce electricity consumption;
maintaining only those lighting which are essential for safety, security or other specific purposes in areas that are infrequently occupied and switching off the lights for facilities without booking or left idle;
suspending external lightings used for decorative, promotional or advertising purposes from 11 pm to 7 am daily except for those decorative lightings that are required to cater for some special festive occasions such as Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year;
separating the lighting/air-conditioning controls in different areas/zones of venues so that the lighting/air-conditioning system could be tuned or switched on as necessary to save energy;
save for operational needs and safety/security reasons, switching off external lighting installation of some venues all year round;
shortening the operation hours of water features where applicable; and
installing speed control/passenger sensors for escalators or reducing their operation time as deemed appropriate.

3.34

Apart from the above commonly adopted housekeeping measures, some venues also implemented other practicable measures that could address their operational characteristics or specific environment for energy saving –

using photovoltaic lighting systems in the Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Ko Shan Theatre New Wing, Tiu Keng Leng Public Library, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Tuen Mun Town Hall and Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre to promote the energy-saving concept by converting solar energy directly into electricity;
installing solar energy lights in the Hong Kong Park, Quarry Bay Park, Chai Wan Park, Waterfall Bay Park, Victoria Park, Kowloon Park, Fa Hui Park, Kai Tak Runway Park, Jordan Valley Park, Morse Park, Po Kong Village Road Park, Tung Chung North Park, Cheung Chau Park, Tsing Yi Northeast Park, Tsuen Wan Park, Sha Tin Park, Tai Po Waterfront Park, Po Tsui Park, North District Park, Tuen Mun Riverside Park, Wu Shan Riverside Park, Tin Shui Wai Park, Nam Cheong Park, Kai Tak Avenue Park and Sai Kung Waterfront Park to promote the adoption of renewable energy technologies;
installing photovoltaic panels in Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Kai Tak Station Square, Hong Ning Road Park and Kwun Tong Promenade to promote the energy-saving concept by converting solar energy directly into electricity;
installing sensors for lighting at different venues, such as Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre and Hong Kong Heritage Museum, to reduce their operation time so as to achieve energy saving and more effective use of lighting;
adjusting the timer lighting schedule to fit seasonal need and installing astronomical time switches to the lighting in some parks, playgrounds and performance venues so that the lighting would be switched on/off according to astronomical time of sunset and sunrise to save energy. Besides, remote control devices were installed in some parks to switch on/off park lights by mobile phone during inclement weather;
using photocell control in some leisure and performance venues to automatically control the light in response to the intensity of the natural light;
turning off the air-conditioning system in the main foyer half an hour or one hour before the close of the performance venues when there was no performance/activity in the venues;
installing solar control films or blinds for windows as appropriate in public libraries to reduce sun heat;
switching off some decorative lights, computer monitors and multimedia players at all Multimedia Information System workstations after closure of libraries;
installing new glass facades and skylights which are fitted with high-performance low-energy glazing in the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Equipped with the green properties of good insulation, low reflection and high transmittance, internal heat gain is effectively reduced which results in lower electricity consumption for air-conditioning;
replacing chiller system with high efficiency type and Air Handling Unit with high efficiency electronically commutated fan to achieve energy saving purpose in the Tuen Mun Town Hall; and
using LED stage lighting in performing arts venues to reduce power consumption and heat emission.

3.35

At the Headquarters building, the following practicable measures were also implemented –

using solar control window films at all windows of the building;
using occupancy sensors to control the on/off of the lights;
switching off part of the lighting at G/F entrance and lobby area;
using timers to control the water flushing of urinals at male toilets;
suspending the operation of lighting at the open space car park and outdoor planter boxes;
installing carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide sensors to control the speed of ventilation fan at the basement car park;
using separate electricity meters at G/F to 17/F to monitor the electricity consumption of individual floors;
carrying out surprise checks outside office hours to ensure that any unnecessary equipment was turned off while not in use;
replacing the lights at the corridors near the female toilets at 1/F to 17/F with LED lights;
upgrading existing fluorescent tubes with LED tubes in office area by phases;
upgrading existing lighting system to motion sensors control lighting system in toilets and office areas by phases; and
partially suspending some of the lifts during non-peak hours.

(III) Carbon Reduction

3.36

As part of the Government’s efforts in combating climate change, we conducted annual carbon audits for our major buildings with annual electricity consumption over 500 000 kWh so as to assess the carbon performance and identify room for emissions reduction. The carbon performance summary is available at the Department’s website.

(IV) Water Saving

3.37

The fresh water consumption of government buildings under LCSD in 2022 were 12.4 million cubic meters. Major water conservation measures adopted are listed below –

we exercised vigilance in the use of water by regulating outflow of water taps and replacing them with timer-taps in our offices and venues as far as possible. Any leakage of water taps was repaired as soon as possible; and
we stepped up site inspections of irrigation systems to prevent water leakage, used spray nozzles for irrigation to reduce water loss from the soil surface, planted drought tolerant species at suitable locations and used less water for water features in major parks.

(V) Waste Reduction

3.38

We have adopted the following waste reduction and other green measures –

promulgated on the Department’s document library a list of sales term contracts for waste disposal/recycling to facilitate the sale/recycling of unserviceable items;
used reusable office stationery, such as refillable pen shafts and greener clutch pencils, etc.;
promoted the use of more green products, such as food waste compost, animal waste composts, and environmental-friendly pesticide for plants, and the recycle use of yard wastes as soil conditioner for planting;
signed the Food Wise Charter under the Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign, disseminated information on food waste reduction to catering service contractors operating in our leisure/cultural venues, and displayed posters/publicity materials which promoted the Food Wise Charter;
recycled yard waste generated from horticultural maintenance works at Animal Waste Composting Plant in Ngau Tam Mei and wood shredding facility in Y Park;
reminded colleagues to plant flowering shrubs instead of seasonal flowers for beautification and landscape work so as to reduce yard waste;
placed waste separation bins (i.e. 3-coloured, 4-in-1 bins and bottle-shaped bins) at over 780 venues, including leisure and cultural venues and the Headquarters building;
requested suppliers/manufacturers to provide regulated products that are in compliance with the Volatile Organic Compound limit, including documentary proof in the quotation documents;
required suppliers to comply with the relevant statutory requirements and environmental legislation on electrical equipment in execution of the contract and in any subsequent transfer/export/disposal of the trade-in items;
incorporated a provision in the cleansing and horticultural maintenance service contracts that contractors shall collect and sort all refuse in an environmental-friendly manner, and remove and dispose of the refuse properly in recyclable polythene bags;
reminded colleagues to send invitation in electronic means for organising events/meetings, not to use corsages, reduce name badges to an absolute minimum and avoid using disposable cups and disposable tableware as far as practicable;
reminded colleagues to help reduce the use of plastic shopping bags and avoid the distribution of reusable shopping bags (including but not limited to non-woven bags) except on a need basis in publicly funded activities;
placed umbrella dryers and umbrella racks at various venues, and ceased to distribute plastic umbrella bags on rainy days in all leisure and cultural venues;
promoted “Bring Your Own Bottle” culture in the community and installed 1 748 and 75 water dispensers/fountains in leisure and cultural venues respectively; and reminded colleagues to stop the distribution of plastic bottled water; and
conducted annual performance review to monitor the adoption of green measures and waste reduction practices by sections/offices.

(VI) Environmental Awareness among Staff

3.39

For raising environmental awareness and promoting waste reduction, saving energy and natural resources among staff –

we promoted and regularly re-circulated circulars and good practices in paper saving, energy saving, waste avoidance and reduction, and improving air quality to staff and contractors. These circulars and good practices have also been uploaded onto the Department’s document library for staff’s easy reference and retrieval;
we issued to staff green tips for offices and attending/organising events and meetings for enhancing their awareness of the green measures;
we took part in the lights out campaign of “Earth Hour 2022” organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature on 26 March 2022; and
we regularly reminded colleagues to choose energy-efficient products in line with the Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme under the Energy Efficiency (Labelling of Products) Ordinance or the Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme as appropriate. For procurement of the prescribed products (i.e. room air-conditioners, refrigerating appliances and compact fluorescent lamps), only those with Grade 1 energy label should be chosen.

(VII) Clean Air Charter

3.40

The Chief Executive signed the Clean Air Charter on behalf of the Government at the “Business for Clean Air” seminar organised by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce on
27 November 2006. The Charter was initiated by the business sector in support of the Government’s appeal to improve air quality in Hong Kong.

3.41

As at 31 December 2022, we had a fleet of 152 vehicles. The total mileage was 1 373 897 km and the fuel consumption was 332 554 litres in 2022. The related emissions were about 6 030 kg of nitrogen oxides and 500 kg of respirable suspended particulates². The total mileage and fuel consumption decreased by 6.2% and 6.1% respectively as compared with the figures recorded in 2021. Such decrease was mainly caused by the review of drivers’ driving practices and replacement of new departmental vehicles with Euro 6 emission standard. Moreover, we have implemented the following measures in support of the Government’s policy to improve air quality in Hong Kong –

plan to replace more conventional retired departmental vehicles with fuel efficient and low emission environmental-friendly ones continuously; and
regularly refresh all departmental drivers about eco-driving skills and remind them of good practices in operating the vehicles for reducing emissions.

²	The indirect emissions from vehicle fuel are calculated according to the formulae set out in the Guide to Clean Air Charter Report Writing published by the Environmental Protection Department in January 2008.

3.42	For improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and providing quality services to the public, we have engaged EMSD to carry out proper maintenance and retrofitting works for the ventilation and air-conditioning systems at our offices and venues.

3.43

In support of the Government’s drive of improving IAQ, we also participated in the IAQ Certification Scheme and engaged accredited IAQ Certificate Issuing Body to carry out regular IAQ inspection for LCSD venues/facilities served by central air-conditioning systems wherever practicable. In 2022, about 219 LCSD venues/facilities had participated in the Scheme.

(D) Minimising Air and Noise Pollution in Organising Leisure and Cultural Activities

3.44	We monitored closely the generator and machinery installed for activities to ensure that dark smoke emission would not exceed the prescribed requirement as stipulated in the relevant Regulations.

3.45	We monitored the noise level of outdoor events and ensure that they were within the limits set in the relevant Regulations.

3.46

Following the amendments to the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) in 2006, statutory no smoking areas have been extended to cover all indoor workplaces and public places as well as some outdoor public places. The Department has implemented the smoking ban in these premises with effect from 1 January 2007.