Sixth meeting of Hong Kong/Guangdong Joint Liaison Group on Combating Climate Change held in Hong Kong
Sixth meeting of Hong Kong/Guangdong Joint Liaison Group on Combating Climate Change held in Hong Kong (with photos)
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For adaptation to climate change:
* In January this year, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and the Guangdong Meteorological Bureau conducted a meeting in Macau on climate and climate change to exchange experience on short-term climate forecasting techniques including statistical forecasts, extended forecasts and the history of climate forecast development in Guangdong Province;
* Hong Kong provided data on influenza-like cases, weather, insect vectors, the environment and more to support research work of Guangdong. In January this year, Hong Kong and Guangdong shared views on the impact of climate change on influenza, the development of research on influenza and weather, future research directions and possible collaboration;
* In April this year, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) of Hong Kong and the Guangdong Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development exchanged views on the design of urban drainage systems in order to effectively cope with the impact of heavy rainfall on Hong Kong and Guangdong. The DSD also visited "sponge city" construction items in Guangzhou and Shenzhen; and
* In November last year, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) of Hong Kong participated in the "Urban Geological Hazard Management and Risk Mitigation Seminar" organised by the Guangdong Province Geological Disaster Prevention Association in Guangzhou. After the meeting, representatives of the Hong Kong side conducted technical exchanges with the Guangdong Provincial Department of Land and Resources on the use of geographic information systems in the management of geohazard-related emergency information. The CEDD representatives also visited the geohazard automatic monitoring stations and landslides mitigation works.
For mitigation of climate change:
* In October last year, the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of Hong Kong invited the GDDRC to visit the Zero Carbon Building (ZCB), which is Hong Kong's first zero-carbon building. The Hong Kong side shared the construction concept and operating data of the ZCB. The visit and exchange provided a useful reference for the Guangdong side to promote the work of its near-zero carbon emission demonstration project;
* In December last year, the China Quality Certification Centre (CQC) Guangzhou Branch and the Chinese Manufacturers' Association Testing and Certification Laboratories of Hong Kong held an annual exchange meeting on Hong Kong-Guangdong carbon label co-operation in Hong Kong. The two sides conducted an exchange on specific content for establishing a unified methodology for Guangdong and Hong Kong's carbon labelling including the scope of evaluation, quality requirement and collection of relevant data;
* In October last year, the CQC Guangzhou Branch and the Hong Kong Construction Industry Council (HKCIC) conducted an exchange on carbon labelling of building products and explored the feasibility of further co-operation; and
* In June this year, Guangzhou Carbon Emissions Exchange Company Limited was invited to attend in Hong Kong a conference entitled "A Study on Emissions Trading in the Mainland: Options for Hong Kong" organised by the Central Policy Unit of Hong Kong to explore options for Hong Kong in the national carbon market.
The work plan for next year mainly includes:
For adaptation of climate change:
* Continuing co-operation on developing techniques for short-term climate forecasting;
* Continuing co-operation and exchange on influenza risk assessment and climate warning in the context of climate change;
* Strengthening sea level rise research co-operation;
* Conducting in-depth exchange on urban drainage systems;
* Continuing exchange on slope safety management; and
* Exploring co-operation on climate change adaptation in the context of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Development.
For mitigation of climate change:
* Carrying out renewable energy technology exchange;
* Conducting an exchange activity on the carbon reduction incentives (Tanpuhui) scheme;
* Deepening of exchange and co-operation on low-carbon products between Hong Kong and Guangdong certification bodies;
* Exploring co-operation of climate change mitigation in the context of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Development.
The JLGCCC was set up under the Hong Kong and Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference in 2011 with a view to discussing co-operation on combating climate change, co-ordinating the relevant measures and activities, and promoting related scientific research and technology development. Under the JLGCCC, two working groups have been set up to initiate and take forward co-operation initiatives and enhance exchanges on adaptation to climate change impacts and mitigation measures respectively.
The government bureaux and departments which attended the meeting today included, from Hong Kong, the Environment Bureau; the EPD; the CEDD; the Department of Health; the DSD; the HKO; Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department; Electrical and Mechanical Services Department; the Water Services Department and the Transport Department; and from Guangdong, the GDDRC, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Land and Resources, the Environmental Protection Department, the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Communications Department, the Water Resources Department, the Health and Family Planning Commission, the Forestry Department, the Department of Ocean and Fisheries, the Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the Provincial Academy of Sciences and the Meteorological Bureau.
Ends/Thursday, August 31, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:10
Issued at HKT 17:10
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