VZCZCXRO7966
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #2167/01 3290655
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250655Z NOV 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9040
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HONG KONG 002167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, OES/ENV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ENIV ENRG PGOV SENV CH MC
SUBJECT: MACAU'S NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BUREAU: GOOD 
INTENTIONS BUT LACKING TIMELINE AND CAPACITY 
 
REF: HONG KONG 522 
 
 ¶1.  SUMMARY: Macau,s newly established Environmental 
Protection Bureau (EPB) seeks to raise the profile of 
environmental issues and help Macau market itself to foreign 
investors and visitors as a "green city."  Macau 
environmental officials have several initiatives to promote 
environmentally sound operations and reduce air and noise 
pollution, but their timelines are unclear and the EPB's 
capacity is still lacking.  EPB officials are focusing their 
efforts on public education rather than setting new standards 
and regulations to address their environmental concerns.  END 
SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  Comment: The EPB's origins lie in public education. 
Given its lack of scientific or regulatory expertise, its 
current policy focus emphasizes promoting environmental 
awareness and certifying "green" business practices.  The EPB 
would benefit from exposure to international norms and best 
practices in environmental regulation to build expertise and 
credibility as it grows into an effective regulatory body. 
End Comment 
 
¶3.  ECONOFFs recently visited Macau,s new Environmental 
Protection Bureau (EPB) and met with Vong Man Hung, Deputy 
Director and Ieong Kin Si, Head of Environmental Publicity, 
Education and Cooperation Department to discuss the newly 
established Bureau's responsibilities, plans, and goals. 
 
The New Bureau and its Responsibilities 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  Established on June 29, Macau,s EPB falls under the 
direction of the Secretary of Transport and Public Works. 
The EPB replaces the Environmental Protection Committee which 
was limited to an advisory role and had focused on public 
education campaigns.  The Committee's limited mandate made it 
impossible for it to adequately address the increasing 
environmental concerns resulting from Macau's rapid growth. 
Vong stated that the Committee's replacement by a 
bureau-level organization allowed more resources to be 
devoted to key environmental concerns. The EPB was given a 
wider range of duties to better manage pollution control, 
approve infrastructure development, address the public's 
environmental concerns, and participate in cross-border 
cooperation with mainland China. 
 
¶5.  The establishment of the EPB is a big step for Macau as 
it seeks to raise the profile of environmental issues and 
position itself to foreign investors and visitors as a "green 
city."  Its statutory responsibilities include pollution 
monitoring and control, environmental impact assessments, 
environmental planning and evaluation of infrastructure, and 
environmental education and promotion. The EPB also has 
authority over environmentally sensitive waste water 
treatment and refuse incineration plants, both of which are 
managed by private service providers. 
 
Good Ideas that Need Definition 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Senior officials have tasked the EPB with several 
ambitious projects and initiatives to further Macau's goal of 
becoming a "green city."  The EPB intends to focus its 
eco-friendly efforts on the hotel industry, construction, 
technology and the use of "green labeling" on Macau products. 
 However, when asked for details, officials replied that the 
requirements had not yet been defined and that these projects 
were still in the planning stages. 
 
¶7.  EPB officials stated that Macau,s top public concerns 
were air and noise pollution, as both were closely related to 
quality of life.  To address air pollution problems, the EPB 
was examining roadside pollution and trying to promote public 
transportation.  EPB was also considering a monorail system 
to reduce the number of cars on the road.  In addition, it 
implemented in July a ban on the sale of two-stroke 
motorcycles and four-stroke engines with emissions exceeding 
legal requirements.  In September, the EPB introduced the 
concept of "eco-ride" to encourage car pooling, the use of 
bicycles and public transportation.  To combat noise 
pollution, future changes to zoning were under consideration. 
 The EPB noted that efforts to combat both forms of pollution 
would require public education and changes in behavior. 
 
¶8.  Although the EPB and the Transport Bureau were under the 
same cabinet secretary, it was unclear how much cooperation 
existed between the bureaus.  When asked about improvements 
to the bus system, EPB officials stated that  old buses 
currently in use fell under the authority of the Transport 
 
HONG KONG 00002167  002 OF 002 
 
 
Bureau and that emission standards had not yet been agreed 
to.  However, officials also cited examples of cooperation, 
such as "No Cars Day," which gained support from 
associations, companies, governmental departments, and 
thousands of citizens.   Officials also spoke favorably about 
their cooperation with the Health Bureau on Macau,s "Health 
City" promotion. 
 
¶9.  Officials highlighted various projects, including 
designating environmentally friendly schools as "Green 
Schools", as examples of the certification approach the EPB 
favored.  The Green Schools project aimed to promote 
environmental management by engaging principals, facility 
management staff, and faculty and to establish a system for 
"green" certification, similar to the EPB's Green Hotel 
program.  Another example was the "Green Construction" 
project to promote environmentally friendly construction 
practices in design, demolition, and building.  The EPB was 
working with the University of Macau and ISO 9000 to 
establish criteria and guidelines for green construction 
projects.  In both cases, actual regulation was considered to 
be far off in the future. 
 
¶10.  Macau,s EPB is currently staffed by 16 employees. 
However, the EPB's goal is to eventually increase human 
resources to over one hundred staff. The timeline and 
approach for this staffing increase were unclear. 
 
First Education, Then Regulation 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  Macau EPB officials stated that they needed to increase 
public awareness of environmental issues before trying to 
implement new environmental laws.  To this end, the officials 
stated that one of their top priorities was to improve the 
quality of the environmental message to the public.  For 
example, while reducing emissions remained a long-term 
objective, EPB officials stated that they aimed to achieve 
emission targets through public education first, then 
regulation.  EPB officials were also considering public 
consultations in formulating new environmental policies. 
 
MARUT