Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung has appointed Chinese contemporary artist Xu Bing as Ambassador for Cultural Promotion for about five years starting today. As Ambassador for Cultural Promotion, Mr Xu will initiate a series of large-scale art projects in Hong Kong and nurture young talent to promote cultural development. The Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau said the appointment aims to extend the Ambassador for Cultural Promotion scheme to other fields of arts, after Chinese composer, musician and conductor Tan Dun became Hong Kong’s first Ambassador for Cultural Promotion last year. Speaking at the appointment ceremony today, Mr Yeung said Mr Xu is widely recognised as one of the most innovative and influential Chinese contemporary artists. The culture chief added that the Museum of Art collected one of Mr Xu's most well-known works A Book from the Sky, which contains both traditional and contemporary elements, just like Hong Kong
The air quality in the Pearl River Delta has continuously improved in recent years, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Pearl River Delta Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network reported.
The network released a report on its 2020 monitoring results today.
According to the report, the average annual concentration levels of pollutants decreased in the delta region compared with 2006. This includes an 86% drop in sulphur dioxide, a 49% reduction in respirable suspended particulates and a 43% decrease in nitrogen dioxide.
Compared with 2015, the average annual concentration levels of carbon monoxide and fine suspended particulates also fell 16% and 31%.
On the other hand, the average annual concentration level of ozone rose 27% when compared with 2006, indicating the need to further alleviate regional photochemical pollution.
Hong Kong and Guangdong have long been committed to reducing air pollutant emissions from key sources to improve regional air quality. The two governments are conducting a study on post-2020 regional emission reduction targets and concentration levels to formulate targets or levels in 2025 and 2030.
Additionally, the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau will launch a three-year study on the characterisation of photochemical ozone pollution in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and its regional and super-regional transportation.
The study results will help people better understand the origins of ozone precursors, their formation mechanism and regional and super-regional transportation characteristics in the bay area.
The monitoring network, launched in 2005 and comprising 23 air monitoring stations in the three jurisdictions, monitors six major air pollutants.
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