出版物

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2025)

Air pollution is the one environmental problem generally recognised as such by Hong Kong’s community and government. However, such awareness has not translated to a robust, effective prevention and remediation programme, which is the subject of the main article in this edition.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 2025)

This edition introduces a new, regular segment covering the Northern Metropolis, a massive urban development project in the New Territories. The main article provides an overview of key aspects of the project drawing on various reports and publications, such as GBA (Greater Bay Area) press releases.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (July 2025)

The 2024 Fred Kan & Co. Prize was awarded to Ms. Malene Eilertsen for her dissertation–Assessing the Perception and Personal Experiences of Climate Change in Hong Kong in the Wake of Recent Extreme Weather Events—which was submitted to the board of Examines for the degree of MSc in Environmental Management at the University of Hong Kong. We provide an overview of the dissertation in this edition of the UPELQ.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2025)

In this edition we, once again, highlight an inexplicable anomaly of Hong Kong’s environmental protection programme, namely the consistently low, unrealistic level of penalties ordered by magistrates for environmental offences.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2024)

Decades of excessive and inappropriate exploitation of the world’s ecosystems have destroyed much of the global biodiversity. In this edition we consider the latest international initiative to halt and then reverse biodiversity loss, the Kunming – Montreal Global Diversity Framework.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 2024)

Hong Kong’s first municipal policy waste (MSW) charging scheme, initially proposed in 2005, finally was legislated to commence on 1 August 2024. However, in a regrettable U-turn, on 27 May 2024 the government indefinitely postponed implementation of the scheme. This edition considers issues related to that decision.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 2024)

In keeping with the healthy rivers theme of the March edition of the UPELQ, this edition provides an overview of the serious degradation of most of China’s river systems due to pollution, in one form or another.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2024)

The health of our rivers and their dependant ecosystems is an environmental issue which is perhaps over shadowed to some extent by Hong Kong’s more prominent environmental problems, such as poor air quality and harmful waste disposal practices. In this edition, we consider the health of our rivers and streams and partiall) review an informative article on this topic published by Earth.org.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2023)

Hong Kong’s emerging (if belated) public support for effective environmental conservation has seemingly filtered through to the always influential business sector; as illustrated by the recently imposed requirement for listed companies to submit annual “environmental, social and governance” (ESG) reports. Another, less desirable, result, is the emerging practice of corporate “greenwashing”, which we consider in this edition

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 2023)

As is the case in most developed countries, companies, listed on Hong Kong’s Stock Exchange are now required to disclose their business policies and practices affecting environmental, social and corporate governance matters, referred to as “ESG” requirements; In this edition we consider aspects of Hong Kong’s nascent ESG regime with particular focus on the environmental component.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 2023)

The world’s natural environment continues to be degraded at an alarming rate due to damaging human activities, population growth and a general lack of will on the part of political and industry leaders to implement meaningful measures to halt and reverse environmental degradation. In this edition we review the fourteen most serious global environmental problems, as assessed by respected environmental NGO, Earth.Org, with particular focus on the extinction of fauna and flora species.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2023)

The 2021 – 2022 Fred Kan & Co prize for the most meritorious dissertation submitted for the degree of Master of Science (Environmental) at the University of Hong Kong was awarded to Chan Ho Ching for his dissertation titled: “A case study on the effectiveness of Community Recycling Stores in Hong Kong”, which is reviewed in this edition of the UPELQ.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Feb 2023)

Hong Kong’s natural environment faces many threats on various fronts. In this edition, we summarise some of Hong Kong’s main environmental issues, in no particular order of priority.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 2022)

The government proposes re-zoning a large swathe of the Wetlands Buffer Areas surrounding Mai Po Nature Reserve to allow development of new towns. In this edition we review the ecological importance and precarious state of wetlands generally and the strong case against the re-zoning.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 2022)

Illegal wildlife trafficking is an increasingly significant cause of the loss of biodiversity globally. Hong Kong has long been a major hub for this illegal trade, but our government has been slow to address this critical environmental problem, which is the focus of the main article in this edition of the UPELQ.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Apr 2022)

Hong Kong’s record in protecting the environment is mediocre at best; but it is especially poor in respect of our marine environment. In this edition we revisit the abysmal lack of action by the government to establish a meaningful, robust network of marine protected areas.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2021)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (June 2021)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sept 2021)

Urban Planning and Environmental  Law Quarterly (Dec 2021)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2020)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (June 2020)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sept 2020)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2020)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 2019)

As earth’s wildlife species disappear at an alarming rate, Hong Kong continues unabated its significant contribution to this environmental tragedy. In this edition we consider recent alarming data which paint…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (March 2019)

Since the UPELQ was first published (1995), we have at times highlighted a major (and frustrating) flaw in Hong Kong’s environmental protection regimen: weak enforcement of anti-pollution and conservation laws.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (June 2019)

The 2017 / 2018 Fred Kan & Co award in the M. Sc (Environmental Management) course, University of HongKong, went to Cheung Tse-Ching, Kimmy for her dissertation: A study on domestic food waste collection…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2019)

A recent United Nations report provides comprehensive evidence of extensive degradation and serious decline of the world’s ecosystems and wildlife species.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2019)

The earth’s ecosystems – already savaged by numerous forms of human activity – are now drowning under mountains of plastic waste. On a per capita basis, Hong Kong is a substantial contributor to such waste.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (April 2018)

The 2016/2017 Fred Kan & Co. Award was jointly awarded to the authors of dissertations submitted in the M. Sc. (Environmental Management) course at the University of Hong Kong.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (June 2018)

Wong Lok Hin’s dissertation: The Effectiveness of Community Green Stations: a case study on the Sha Tin and the Eastern Community Green Stations was jointly awarded the Fred Kan & Co. prize for……

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (October 2018)

Conservation of fresh water supplies – or, rather, lack of it – is yet another serious environmental issue receiving scant attention from the government. In this issue, we look at some sobering aspects of Hong Kong’s water supplies and consumption.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 2017)

The Court of Final Appeal has ruled that planning restrictions contained in Outline Zoning Plans may be challenged on constitutional grounds as well as administrative law grounds…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2017)

In the aftermath of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Summit, governments are implementing laws and joining regional programmes aimed at reducing the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases which…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (June 2017)

There were two joint winners of the 2016 Fred Kan & Co. prize for best dissertation in the Master of Science (Environmental Management) course at the University of Hong Kong.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2017)

The other joint winner (see UPELQ June edition) of the Fred Kan & Co. Prize (2016) for best dissertation in the Master of Science Course (Environmental Management) course at the University of Hong Kong…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2017)

Climate change is indisputably real and threatens catastrophic world-wide environmental and infrastructure damage if unchecked. Hong Kong has some unique connections with climate change…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Feb 2016)

The world’s attention to climate change was re-focused by the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Paris from 30 November to 12 December 2015. We consider aspects of the Conference in this edition.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (April 2019)

The 2014-2015 Fred Kan & Co. prize was awarded to Luk ting Yan’s dissertation: Recycling and mandatory waste sorting in Hong Kong: issues and potentials, which was submitted for the M. Sc. (Environmental Management) degree, University of Hong Kong.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (June 2016)

In late 2015, China and the USA – the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases – announced they would work towards implementing measures to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions levels.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sept 2019)

As Asia’s “World City”, Hong Kong must implement effective measures to reduce our carbon footprint, such as adopting environmentally friendly energy policies.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (May 2015)

On an almost daily basis the media remind us of the poor air quality we suffer in Hong Kong.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (July 2015)

In this edition we return to an issue we have raised in the past: Hong Kong’s pathetic record of low penalties imposed by our courts for environmental offences.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2015)

Water – or, rather, the scarcity of fresh water – is set to become the world’s most volatile resources issue, if it is not already…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (March 2014)

In this edition we revisit Hong Kong’s pressing waste-disposal problem. The government’s proposal to build a large incinerator next to Shek Kwu Chau has drawn wide and substantial criticism…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (July 2014)

We are delighted that the feature article in this edition has been provided by Hong Kong’s former Director of Planning, K S Pun…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2014)

In this edition we review the second of the three winners of the 2012-2013 Fred Kan & Co. Prize for a meritorious dissertation in the M. Sc. (Environmental Management) course, University of Hong Kong…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2014)

The title of the third dissertation jointly awarded the Fred Kan & Co. Prize for 2012-2013 in the Masters of Environmental Science course, University of Hong Kong is: Students’ Perceptions on Climate Change…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 2013)

This year two students were jointly awarded the Fred Kan & Co. Prize for outstanding dissertations submitted in the Master of Sciences (Environmental) course at the University of Hong Kong.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (May 2013)

The equal awardee (see UPELQ, January 2013) of Fred Kan & Co. prize (M.Sc., Environmental Management, HKU) for 2012 was Chan Chun Tat for his dissertation A Global Review…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Aug 2013)

Numerous marine species are endangered today due to over exploitation and habitat destruction, including most of the world’s 400 shark species. In this edition we return to an important topic covered in previous

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2013)

Hong Kong has had reasonably extensive environmental protection laws for more than 30 years. Their effectiveness, however, has been greatly reduced by the consistent failure of the courts to treat environmental…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2013)

This year’s Fred Kan & Co. prize for excellence in the Master of Environmental Sciences course at the University of Hong Kong was shared between three students. The dissertations concerned different, but equally important, environmental topics…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 2012)

The imminent decision to locate Hong Kong’s first super waste-disposal incinerator on Shek Kwu Chau is another chapter in the government’s record of paying lip service to environmental and town planning factors in large-scale infrastructure projects.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (April 2012)

The 2011 Fred Kan & Co.’s prize for the best dissertation submitted in the Master of Science (Environmental Management) course at the University of Hong Kong is reviewed in the main article of this edition of the UPELQ.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (June 2012)

With a nice ironical touch, the Department of Justice recently hosted a seminar entitled “Environmental Law Conference 2012 – Enforcement and Awareness” at which issues and problems concerning enforcement of Hong Kong’s nvironmental laws were discussed.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2012)

Recent amendments to the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap. 171), including a long overdue ban on bottom-trawling, lead us to revisit in this edition the rather depressing topic of marine conservation in Hong Kong.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2011)

Fred Kan & Co.’s prize for a meritorious dissertation submitted in the MSc in Environmental Management (HKU) 2010 programme was awarded to Edward Oosthuizen for his dissertation …

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (July 2011)

Rarely in Hong Kong are government officials‟ decisions challenged in the courts on environmental grounds. Even more rarely do the courts uphold environmentally

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2011)

The integrity of our Country Parks, a shining beacon in Hong Kong?s otherwise overall poor record of meaningful environmental protection, is constantly threatened by development pressures.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2010)

The effectiveness of Hong Kong’s “command and control” system of environmental protection depends almost entirely on the performance of those government agencies which hold relevant statutory monitoring and enforcement powers…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (July 2010)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2010)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2010)

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 2009)

The Fred Kan & Co. Prize for 2007-2008 was awarded by the Board of Examiners for the degree of MSc in Environmental Management, University of Hong Kong, to Ms. Yang Suk Ting Peggy. In this edition we summarise key points…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Apr 2009)

We are confronted increasingly by examples of the government’s reluctance to fairly and resolutely enforce our planning and environment-protection laws: from slow or no reactions to illegal roads in country parks and bending…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 2009)

In the main article of this edition we argue that Hong Kong’s overall record of weak protection of the environment is only likely to continue while the community and government regard our precious natural environment with a marked…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2009)

In this edition we review the dissertation (MSc in Environmental Management, HKU) awarded the 2009 Fred Kan & Co. prize. The dissertation deals with an extremely important environmental issue in China (and the world generally)…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Feb 2008)

Whilst the government has gradually been shamed into taking air pollution more seriously, the same cannot be said for most other aspects of its responsibilities to protect our environment, including natural ecosystems. The rapid decline…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jul 2008)

The main article in this edition considers an example of Hong Kong’s regulatory agencies’ willingness to bend environment- protection regulations for the sake of other administrative priorities. This tendency is reflected in many…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Nov 2008)

Gradually governments around the world are recognising the fundamental importance of legislating for effective protection for fauna
and flora. Perversely, however, very few governments actually enforce their laws…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 2007)

The parlous state of Hong Kong’s air quality is perhaps our most high-profile–although by no means our only– environmental issue. Recently published comments by the Chief Executive, describing Hong Kong as an “environmentally…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Apr 2007)

Hong Kong’s serious air pollution, and the government’s realisation, finally, that this is a
real problem, have left other equally important environmental issues in the shadow of government and business apathy…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Aug 2007)

Fred Kan & Co. offer an annual prize for the best dissertation submitted by a candidate for the M. Sc (Environmental Management) degree as assessed by the Faculty of Science, University of Hong Kong, provided the dissertation has…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Nov 2007)

This edition of the Quarterly features the second of the dissertations jointly awarded the 2006 Fred Kan & Co. prize for the most meritorious dissertation presented in the M.Sc (Env. Management) course at the University of…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Apr 2006)

The Concept Plan for Lantau provides the latest example of the extent to which the government is prepared to commit to meaningful environmental conservation in the face of relentless pressure to use Hong Kong’s scarce land and marine…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jul 2006)

In May 2006 the Director of Planning announced at a press briefing that the government would implement a holistic and balanced development plan for the Central harbour front. Addressing that and other major redevelopment projects…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2006)

Although there is a welcome increasing community focus on one of Hong Kong’s most serious environmental problems – our poor air quality – other equally serious environmental issues do not get the same level of attention…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 2005)

In this edition of the Quarterly, we review a new environmental awareness newsletter which has commenced publication in Hong Kong. We also provide more background explanation of important amendments to the Town Planning…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Apr 2005)

Beginning with this edition of the Quarterly, the West Kowloon Cultural District project replaces Hong Kong Disneyland as the subject of our mega-development column.The main article in this edition reviews the evolution of the…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Aug 2005)

Official and corporate attitudes to marine conservation have again come under public scrutiny as a result of newspaper articles concerning two separate issues: proposed new regulations to prevent food poisoning…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Nov 2005)

In February 2002 the Hong Kong government announced the winning design from more than 160 entries in an international competition held to produce a master design as underlying basis for creating the West Kowloon Cultural District…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Feb 2004)

In many Western countries since the late 1960s, lawyers have helped public interest groups to obtain judicially ordered protection of the environment when the responsible government agencies have failed to use their powers to do..

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Apr 2004)

Whilst Hong Kong has enacted reasonably strong (when enforced) pollution – control laws, there has been significantly less progress in implementing effective environmental conservation laws.The government’s current…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Aug 2004)

The 2004 Fred Kan & Co. prize for the best dissertation submitted for the degree of MSc in Environmental Management at the University of Hong Kong was awarded to Jason Chi-hin Chan. The topic of Mr. Chan’s dissertation is…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 2004)

Hong Kong’s inability to limit air and water pollution to acceptable levels is regularly the subject of public discussion. Our record in another area of environmental protection – marine conservation – is even worse, which…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2003)

Recent publicity concerning the fate of one of the few remaining examples of Hong Kong’s ancient, rural villages prompted the Quarterly to look at aspects of our key legislative scheme for the protection of our architectural heritage.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 2003)

In this edition we return to the topic of saving our disappearing Victoria Harbour. This controversial issue has been the focus of at least two previous quarterlies. We include a timely letter to the editors from a pioneer in the noble cause of…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 2003)

An important component of Hong Kong’s mega-development project, Disneyland, involves decontaminating the Cheoy Lee Shipyard. This process has provided stark evidence of the inadequacies of Hong Kong’s laws for shifting….

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2002)

The Quarterly has regularly raised the problem of the lack of effective enforcement of laws designed to protect the environment. Probably the single greatest weakness of the world’s collective system of environmental protection….

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 2002)

To mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of Fred Kan & Co.’s Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly, the founding editori joins us in taking stock of ten years of reporting on urban growth in Hong Kong and….

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2002)

Each year Fred Kan & Co. awards a prize for a meritorious dissertation submitted in the Master of Sciences (Environmental Management) programme at the University of Hong Kong.In 2002 the award was made to Stephen Ng for…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2001)

Hong Kong’s rapid economic progress has in part been built on lax industrial waste disposal practices. This has left us with numerous contaminated land-sites. In this Quarterly we consider the approach taken by the United…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 2001)

In a hopeful sign of Hong Kong’s maturing attitude towards environmental conservation, the Hong Kong Sustainable Development Forum was established in September 1998 and continues as a significant participant in community…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 2001)

Native forests throughout the world are being exploited on a plainly unsustainable basis. Hong Kong has no forests to protect, but we – the community as well as the government – have an influential role as consumers. The feature…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2001)

In this edition we consider – in the context of water, waste and air – whether Hong Kong has improved in its commitment and ability to provide effective protection of the environment from pollution.

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 2000)

Whilst Hong Kong confidently enters the 21st century enjoying economic revival, the condition of its environment continues to deteriorate. In particular, air pollution levels are frequently critical in terms of world standards. This edition…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 2000)

In this edition,the Quarterly focuses on Hong Kong’s serious air pollution,which probably ranks as our most pressing environmental issue.We briefly consider the background to Hong Kong ‘s worsening air quality,and report on several…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 2000)

More than two years ago Kai Tak Airport was de-commissioned following the opening of Chep Lak Kok Airport. Kai Tak operated as a high volume international airport for more than 50 years. This means its soils are likely to be…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 2000)

An effective system of laws and standards for conservation of the environment requires a knowledgeable judiciary and easy access for citizens to seek judicial relief.The feature article in this edition considers an example of a…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 1999)

This issue features comments on the recently published Final Report of the Territorial Development Strategy made at a seminar by one of the government’s principal planners responsible for the lengthy and detailed…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Apr 1999)

Hong Kong’s famous Harbour has contracted in size considerably since the arrival of the British more than 150 years ago.During the last 10 years or so the pace of filling-in Victoria Harbour has increased markedly, in response to the…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 1999)

During the latter part of the 1990s public comments by government agencies’ spokesmen, particularly EPD executives, suggest that the authorities are coming to realise that disposing of Hong Kong’s hard waste(which is generated in…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 1999)

We begin this edition’s main article with a letter from the EPD commenting on the previous Report’s article which dealt with the implementation of container-deposit laws in Hong Kong.As the EPD has responded mainly…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Spring 1998)

This issue features comments on the recently published Final Report of the Territorial Development Strategy made at a recent seminar by one of the government’s principal planners responsible for the lengthy and detailed review…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Summer 1998)

Hong Kong’s town planning legislation has evolved slowly since its inception in 1939.Increasingly the economic and environmental future of the SAR will depend on the effectiveness of the legislation itself…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Spring 1997)

Hong Kong’s water pollution controls were the subject of a recently completed dissertation awarded the Fred Kan & Co. Prize for M.Sc.(Environmental Science) graduates in the 1996/97 course. Our feature article this edition…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Summer 1997)

In this edition we consider key aspects of Hong Kong’s Territory Development Strategy Review ’96. This document and the imminent follow-up report will provide the bases for Hong Kong’s further town planning, particularly in respect of…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Autumn 1997)

Perhaps the single most significant factor in the continuing, sorry tale of environmental degradation in virtually every part of the world is the inexplicable lack of resolve on the part of regulatory agencies to enforce laws designed…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Winter 1997)

The role that Hong Kong’s Ombudsman does and could play in facilitating greater protection of the environment is the subject of the main article in this Report.The prosecution data included (courtesy of the EPD) once again reflect the…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 1996)

In this Report we feature a brief overview of China’s 1995 draft inland water pollution laws. Some of the advanced, indeed radical, provisions of the draft are highlighted. However, we are left with the perennial question, in terms of China’s…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 1996)

1st July 1997 ushers in a new and uncertain era for Hong Kong. This is no less so in the context of Hong Kong’s environmental protection laws – and how effectively they are likely to be enforced. The main article in this Quarterly…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Autumn 1996)

The Environmental Impact Assessment Bill continues to be debated by Legco.The Bill is presently with the Bills Committee which will again consider it in early December. Important amendments to allow for some form of third…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Winter 1996)

Our feature article in our June 1996 issue concerning the alleged lack of effective enforcement of Hong Kong’s anti-pollution laws, drew an immediate response from Mr.M.Stokoe, Assistant Director of the…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar 1995)

The increasingly serious plight of Hong Kong’s fauna and flora is the subject of our main feature in this issue. We look at aspects of Hong Kong’s Animal and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance (Cap,187), which was…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jun 1995)

The Mai Po wetlands are of indisputable importance to the regional and world environment. In particular, various specis of migratory birds, including endangered species, depeng on Mai Po as a nesting…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 1995)

If you visit Victoria Peak and look down on Victoria Harbour there is spectacularly summed up and laid out before you the issue which is the topic of this Report’s feature article: does filling in our Harbour (or a decent proportion of it) make…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 1995)

Fred Kan & co. awards an annual prize to an outstanding environmental sciences student.The 1995 prize went to an MSC student at the University of Hong Kong, Arthur Lee.In this Report we briefly review Mr.Lee’s…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan-Feb 1994)

This issue features a discussion of the use of economic instruments for environmental control in Hong Kong with special reference to the levy of a charge on trade effluent. This is, in fact, a summary of part of a dissertation submitted by…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar-Apr 1994)

Our feature in this issue looks at how an environmental consultant can help your business and how to choose one. Although originally written for a Canadian audience by our Associates Smith, Lyons, Torrance, Stevenson…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (May-Jun 1994)

This issue features a review of the Legislative Council’s recent debate on Urban Planning in Hong Kong’s New Towns. Those who spoke did not miss the oppprtunity to criticise the Government’s record on urban planning in the…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 1994)

In this issue we continue our focus on town planning with a feature on the tensions between planning regulations and Crown lease conditions as planning instruments in Hong Kong. As odd as it may seem to outsiders, planning requirements…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Dec 1994)

Our feature in this edition covers the important issue of the applicability of strict liability for environmental offences prosecuted under Hong Kong environmental legislation. In many other developed countries the trend is towards…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jan 1993)

We begin the Year of the Rooster with a look back to the Year of the Ram for this issue features a review of the 1991 Annual Report of Hong Kong’s Town Planning Board. If this seems like old news please note that the 1991 Annual…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Mar-Apr 1993)

In this issue we feature a report on recent developments in Hong Kong’s environmental legislation which give rise to personal liability for environmental offenses. Responding to the failure of existing penalties to deter polluters, the…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (May-Jun 1993)

In this issue we begin the first of a two-part feature on the recently enacted Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Ordinanace which is expected to come into operation later this year. The amendments, which were digested in the…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Aug-Sep 1993)

This issue features the second and final part of our report on the recently enacted Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Ordinance, parts of which came into force on 6 August this yeat. In this part we look at the novel provision for technical…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Oct 1993)

In this issue we feature a discussion of the implications of U.S. environmental laws for Hong Kong exporters and manufacturers with Us based plants. This Feature is based on a speech by Fred Kan, founder and Senior Partner of…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (May 1992)

This is the inaugural issue of Urban Planning and Environmental Law Report published bimonthly by Fred Kan and Co. As well as documenting current developments in Hong Kong’s planning and environmental policy, legislation and…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Jul 1992)

In this issue we report on the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which took place in Rio De Janeiro last month. In the absence of official Hong Kong representation at the Earth Summit Hong Kong environmental…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Sep 1992)

This issue features a review of Environment Hong Kong 1992, the Environmental Protection Department’s annual review of Hong Kong environmental regulation. This is the only comprehensive statement on Hong Kong’s…

Urban Planning and Environmental Law Quarterly (Nov 1992)

The efficacy of any system of environmental law depends on the rigour of its enforcement. In this issue, therefore, our feature turns to the question of how Hong Kong courts are punishing environmental offenders. We examine…