Hong Kong's increased emphasis on the environment is building
great potential for Canadian-made "green" technologies to find
fertile ground in Hong Kong.
 Mr Edward Yau, Hong Kong's Secretary for the Environment,
travelled to Toronto and Ottawa recently to exchange views and
share experiences on environmental protection with Canadian
government officials and business leaders. He also discussed
about the "Green Opportunities" available in Hong Kong and the
mainland of China.
Mr Yau disclosed that Hong Kong would be spending close to CAD$5
billion on infrastructural projects directly related to the
city's environmental drives in the next five years. These
projects include a district cooling system for a redeveloped
area where the old Kai Tak airport was, sludge treatment
facilities, harbour area treatment plants, integrated waste
management facilities, sewerage works and green roofing
projects, etc.
Hong Kong is now working hand-in-hand with Guangdong on
transforming the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region into a green and
quality living area by promoting environmental protection and
sustainable development.
Measures are being worked out among authorities in the region to
reduce emissions, develop wider use of renewable energies,
enhance conservation and greening as well as publicity and
education.
Hong Kong has set aside CAD$13.6 billion (US$12 billion) to
support Hong Kong firms operating in the PRD region to introduce
cleaner production measures. The implementation of environmental
projects budgeted by the Guangdong government alone is
forecasted to reach the same amount by 2018.
In his keynote speech at a luncheon organized by the Ontario
Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA),
and Canada China Environmental Forum, Mr Yau encouraged Canadian
environmental protection companies to partner with their
counterparts in Hong Kong to open up their China market. "We are
going to be greener, and the goal for our region is to be the
greenest," he said.
 Hong Kong's role as the gateway to Mainland China means it can
act as the trans-Pacific link between Canada and the mainland,
given the mainland's economic revitalization package of CAD$34
billion, which would be devoted to energy efficiency, emission
reduction and ecological conservation.
"Another reason," said Mr. Yau, "is that one-third of the
world's Clean Development Mechanism projects are in China, with
a total worth of CAD$130 million per annum."
Mr Yau was interested to learn about the progress on electric
vehicles. On his way to Canada, he tried the Mitsubishi
innovative electric vehicle ("i MiEV") in Japan. In Toronto, he
visited ZENN (Zero Emission No Noise), a developer and
manufacturer of electric vehicles.
He also visited the site of Toronto's Bay Adelaide Centre, which
has adopted state-of-the-art design technologies to create an
environment that is committed to conservation, from conception
to construction. |
|
