Hong Kong questioned over air quality standards

Hong Kong's ombudsman has questioned the air quality of the city, asking why it has not developed its pollution standards for the last 20 years.

According to the AFP, the watchdog wrote to the government calling for an explanation over why it has not changed its Air Quality Objectives.

Thomas Choi, a senior environmental affairs officer at Friends of the Earth Hong Kong, told the news source that the ombudsman's probe would last up to six months, as a result of worsening air pollution in the city.

Government figures for 2010 show that the year could be the worst ever for roadside air quality, while its many factories and transport systems have caused pollution levels to rise as well.

This comes after AirNow, CITEAIR and the American Embassy in Beijing released data to the Independent, which showed that Hong Kong had 'good' air quality ratings for January 4th and 5th 2011, while Beijing's atmosphere was deemed 'unhealthy for sensitive groups'.

Posted by Lauren Steadman