SEE leads delegation to visit Guangzhou (with photos)

     The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, led a delegation today (June 1) to attend the Industry Green Development Conference 2023 in Guangzhou. He also visited the Industry Green Development Achievement Exhibition 2023 and exchanged views with exhibitors and senior officials.

The Industry Green Development Conference 2023 was jointly organised by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the People's Government of Guangzhou Municipality, with the theme of Accelerating Green and Low-Carbon Industrial Transformation for High-Quality Economic Development. In delivering his speech, Mr Tse said that with a view to aligning with the national "dual carbon" targets, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government announced Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050 in 2021, setting out four major decarbonisation strategies, namely net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport and waste reduction. Hong Kong is striving to reduce the total carbon emissions from the 2005 level by half before 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2050.

Mr Tse also pointed out that achieving carbon neutrality in less than 30 years requires not only the support from all sectors of the community in Hong Kong, but also requires the deepening of regional co-operation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The HKSAR Government has been communicating and co-operating with the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the People's Government of Shenzhen Municipality on environmental protection issues through various platforms, including the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change and the Hong Kong/Shenzhen co-operation working group.

Mr Tse said, "The HKSAR Government will continue to combat climate change and accelerate the green transformation and development of the HKSAR in various aspects, practise sustainable development, integrate into the country's overall development, and contribute to national and global efforts to tackle climate change."

Later, Mr Tse toured the Industry Green Development Achievement Exhibition 2023 and met with exhibitors from Hong Kong enterprises to exchange views on promoting green development in the community. More than 180 Mainland and overseas organisations participated in the exhibition, building a high-level international exchange platform for green and low-carbon development.

During the visit, Mr Tse also met with Vice Chairperson of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee and Executive Vice Chairperson of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party Central Committee, Mr Yang Zhen, as well as senior officials of the conference's major organisers, including Vice Minister of the MIIT Mr Xin Guobin, Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province Mr Lu Yuyin, and Vice Mayor of Guangzhou Mr Jiang Zhitao, to strengthen exchanges and co-operation in cleaner production, industrial green development, energy saving and carbon emission reduction.

​     Members of the delegation include the Commissioner for Climate Change, Mr Wong Chuen-fai, and officers from the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

Mr Tse returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.