An Integrated Air Quality Improvement Path of Energy-Environment Policies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Abstract

Energy-related clean air measures in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) can yield substantial air quality improvement benefits and promote energy structure optimization. Here, we first evaluate the reduction effect of the stringent energy-related clean air measures in the GBA during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. First, a reduction of 19.3% emission in air pollutant equivalent was measured in 2020 compared to 2015. Second, we compare the energy structure development and air quality benefits of energy-environment policy scenarios by 2025 (SBAU, SA, SO) geared towards proposing integrated energy-environment development paths of air quality improvement. Under SBUA, SA and SO, the annual average PM2.5 concentration will be 21.7, 19.9 and 18.1 μg/m3, respectively, and the total energy demand would be controlled within 318.9, 300.6 and 282.3 Mtce in the GBA in 2025, reaching 7.5%, 8.4% and 9.4% of SO2, 23.5%, 29.3% and 35.4% of NOX, 18.2%, 19.6% and 22.7% of primary PM2.5, and 25.1%, 29.9% and 34.7% of VOCs emission reductions compared to 2020, respectively. Our study proposes that it is necessary for the GBA to jointly set up regional air quality improvement targets and issue integrated regional energy-environment policies in the process of building an “Air Quality Improvement Pioneering Demonstration Area”.