Sustainable Transportation in Hong Kong

Sustainability means meeting our own needs without endangering the future generations'
ability to meet their own needs. Rather than focusing on short-term rewards, such as the next
quarter's earnings report, sustainability encourages organizations to make decisions based on the
long-term environmental, social, and human effects. Transportation is necessary for both social
and economic activities. However, it has become one of the causes of environmental problems
such as air pollution, noise, vibration, and emission of greenhouse gases. That is why
sustainability is there to balance the fine line between our needs.

There are several countries that practice sustainability in terms of transportation, one of
them is Hong Kong. According to McCarthy (2017), in Arcadis' 2017 Sustainable Cities
Mobility Index, Hong Kong was named the best city globally for sustainable transportation.
Taxis, MTR (Mass Transit Railway), buses, minibusses, and tramways are Hong Kong's land
transportation options. But among the vehicles, MTR is the most popular public transport
because of its inexpensiveness and convenience. The MTR rapid-transit network carries the
majority of Hong Kong's 12.6 million daily passenger trips. What makes MTR different from the
rest of the public transportation in the world is that MTR is a profitable transit system. While
governments heavily subsidize most of the world's metropolitan rail systems, Hong Kong's MTR
Corporation (MTRC) operates at a substantial profit. Regardless of ridership, this profit is
generated not by passenger tickets or advertising but by the company's goal of integrating
railway infrastructure and urban development. Having cheap but efficient and convenient
transportation is sustainable. A report by Keegan (2019) stated that public transport in Hong
Kong is relatively inexpensive compared to other world cities. Less than a fifth of the population
owns a car, and pedestrianized zones are few.

Before Hong Kong became the world's forerunner in sustainable transportation, there
were challenges that Hong Kong faced that pushed the country to practice sustainable transport
behaviors. Limited space, a growing and aging population, fast increasing cross-border traffic
with mainland China, and environmental issues are among the challenges. Chen, S. (n.d.)
reported that vehicular air pollution, the introduction of chemical pollutants and particulates from
vehicle exhaust at a rate that harms the natural environment, has been a problem in Hong Kong.
Yet, Hong Kong is trying its best to be meet the people's needs at the same time, environmentally
friendly. Hong Kong focused on improving public transportation because it can transport many
more people in significantly less than individual automobiles, reducing traffic congestion and air
pollution from idling vehicles. This characteristic has kept car ownership low in Hong Kong:
only 6 out of every 100 vehicles in Hong Kong are for personal use. (Padukone, 2013). The
MTR system is committed to helping transit Hong Kong into a carbon-neutral city. MTRC will
continue incorporating green features and energy-efficient features and measures into the railway
network and properties' design, planning, building, and operation (Mass Transit Railway
Corporation, n.d.).

Furthermore, sustainable programs are created to mitigate the negative impacts of railway
operations. MTRC developed a Climate Change Policy that calls for actions to reduce energy and
resource use across all railway operations and associated properties. Its goal is to address climate
change risks proactively while also assuring the climatic resilience of assets. To consolidate
reactions to climate change strategically, MTRC produced a Climate Change Strategy describing
our three-pronged strategy: Carbon Reduction, Low- carbon Transport Network, and Climate
Adaptation and Resilience. Carbon reduction measures are aimed at lowering energy
consumption and increasing energy efficiency in rail and property activities. In Low- carbon
Transport Network, MTR works with energy suppliers and the HKSAR Government to
decarbonize the energy supply. In the process, MTRC will continue to look into offset carbon
emissions using renewable energy sources. Lastly, MTRC adapts to climate change by regularly
revising design documents and increasing preventive and emergency preparedness procedures to
reduce the impact of extreme weather events on assets. Such a program made electricity
consumption per passenger kilometer reduced by around 12% as of 2019 compared to the base
year. The percent reduction was lower compared to the previous year (MTR Sustainability
Report, 2019). Some minor programs like establishing “bicycle-friendly” new towns and new
development, utilization of green technologies as a pilot project in the operation of a local ferry
are also encouraged to everybody in the country.

In conclusion, it is without a doubt that Hong Kong is committed and strict to its plans in
reducing greenhouse gases. There is numerous program that Hong Kong implemented that
evidently work. It did not just significantly and positively contribute to the environment’s
factors, but the strategies and programs made Hong Kong healthier and more innovative. Hong
Kong’s view of sustainable development is to protect and control by progressively changing how
people develop and use technologies. People, particularly from third-world countries, depend
primarily on the natural environment for their health and livelihoods. Hong Kong’s breakthrough
will indeed influence these countries to embrace sustainability.
References

Chen, S. (n.d.). IT And Environmental Issues In Hong Kong’s Transportation. Retrieved

from Systemhttps://www.ics.uci.edu/~wmt/courses/ICS5_W13/HongKong.html.

Keegan, M. (2019). This City's Transport Has Been Ranked Best In The World. Culture
Trip. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/hong-kong/articles/
this-citys-transport-has-been-ranked-best-in-the-world/.

McCarthy, N. (2017). Infographic: The World's Top Cities For Sustainable Transport.
Statista Infographics. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/chart/11658/
the-worlds-top-cities-for-sustainable-transport/.

Padukone, N. (2013). The Unique Genius Of Hong Kong's Public Transportation System - The
Atlantic. The Unique Genius of Hong Kong's Public Transportation System - The
Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/09
/the-unique-genius-of-hong-kongs-public-transportation-system/279528/.

MTR > Saving the Environment. (n.d.). MTR > Saving the Environment. Retrieved from
http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/community/more_saving_the_
environment.html.

MTR Sustainability Report (2019). Environmental Protection. Retrieved from

https://www.mtr.com.hk/sustainability/2019/en/pdf/MTR_Full2019_Eng.pdf