The ongoing Paris conference of world leaders on climate change may not produce a convincing plan to combat what is widely seen as a major threat to the human race. But it has brought to the forefront an issue every responsible government in the world must try to address.

Hong Kong, as a developed economy, has the obligation to contribute to combating climate change by putting its own house in order, not only for the good of the earth but also for the benefit of its own people. To do this, the government, big businesses and the public must work together to cut down on air pollution, which is posing a serious threat to public health and contributing to the green-house effect.

To be sure, the government has introduced practical measures and financial incentives to encourage the wider use of clean fuel on the road. But these efforts have produced limited results as the air quality continues to worsen while the number of private cars soars.

In the search for a more innovative approach, the government may find it helpful to consider the latest trend in some other major cities that are experimenting with various forms of car-free initiatives. It is similar in nature to the proposal put forward recently by an alliance of several environmental groups to designate a stretch of one of the busiest roads in Hong Kong's Central district a pedestrian-only zone.

While the Hong Kong authorities are dawdling over the proposal, Oslo in Norway announced an ambitious plan to go car-free by 2019. The benefits of such a move was made obvious in Paris where the car-free day on Sept 27 reduced the level of air pollution by about 40 percent.

The proposed satellite city of Chengdu is specifically designed in such a way that its residents will never need to use cars. This can serve as an example for Hong Kong's new town development projects that have become a priority of the government in its efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Air pollution has been troubling Hong Kong for years. The need to do something about it is stronger now than ever.

(HK Edition 12/04/2015 page7)