Transcript of remarks by SEN
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (October 18):Reporter: About the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project, some people have expressed concerns that with this project and issues like climate change, it will make the artificial island vulnerable to disaster. What do you have to say to people who have these concerns?
Secretary for the Environment: After the COP 21, the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Paris, we saw the Paris Agreement. After that, the Hong Kong Government has set up a high level steering committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, to look after mitigation, that means decarbonisation, and also adaptation and resilience. So you are talking about the adaptation. Under the high level steering committee, we have a working group to look after the infrastructures on how to follow the latest global standards and by making reference to the local situation. It will set the latest up-to-date standards for all infrastructures, including reclamation. Under this mechanism, for whatever kind of major infrastructures and development, no matter it is near the sea or on land, they will have to follow the latest climate adaptation standards.
Reporter: What about the impact of this project on marine life? How confident are you that the impact would be minimal?
Secretary for the Environment: I don't think it is fair for me to comment on that. We have an established procedure, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It is a process based on scientific and objective data. It is up to the proponents to collect the data, to put forward the proposal and to decide on how they can minimise the environmental impact. Then they have to go through the (EIA) process, which the proposals can be approved or disapproved. Through the process, there are public involvement opportunities. The public can view the assessment and express their opinions. The duty of the Environment Bureau and also the EPD (Environmental Protection Department) is to diligently administer the EIA process.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, October 18, 2018
Issued at HKT 12:48
Issued at HKT 12:48
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