HONG KONG, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The air quality in Hong Kong has improved in recent years, the Environmental Protection Department of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced here Friday.

Figures showed that from 2013 to 2018, concentrations of major pollutants in the ambient air fell 28 percent to 54 percent, while roadside concentrations of the same pollutants fell 32 percent to 36 percent, according to the department.

These pollutants include respirable suspended particulates, fine suspended particulates, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.

Dave Ho, Assistant Director of Environmental Protection said at a press conference on Friday that the improvement of Hong Kong's air quality reflects the effectiveness of the HKSAR government's green efforts.

Ho said a range of measures targeting different sources of pollution, including motor vehicles, vessels and power plants have contributed to the improvement in air quality.

"To further improve air quality, we will continue our efforts to take forward some new initiatives to reduce local emissions," he said.

As announced in the latest Policy Address, the HKSAR government plans to phase out some 40,000 Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles by 2023, and is also preparing for tightening the emission standards for motorcycles and light buses.