Tse Chin-wan attends COP29 to elaborate on HK's climate strategy

The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-wan, continued to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) and delivered a speech at the China Pavilion's Side Event in Azerbaijan yesterday (November 13, Azerbaijan time).

Tse delivered an opening speech at the side event titled "Climate Action: From Climate Science to New Energy Development Opportunities" held by the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Hong Kong Observatory at the China Pavilion. In his speech, Tse elaborated on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's strategies and progress of combating climate change.

Tse said, "Hong Kong reached carbon peak in 2014 and set a target to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050. Hong Kong's per capita carbon emission in 2023 was about 4.4 tonnes, which has a reduction by almost 30 per cent from the 2014 level."

He added that Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050 has a four-pronged strategy, which includes net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport and waste reduction. Under the strategy, there are three important targets. The first is to stop using coal for power generation before 2035. At this moment, coal accounts for less than 20 percent of Hong Kong's current fuel mix for power generation. The second is promoting green transport. The HKSAR Government will cease the registration of new fossil fuel-powered and hybrid private cars by 2035. In the first half of this year, six to seven out of every 10 newly registered private cars in Hong Kong were electric vehicles. The third is to deal with methane from landfills. The HKSAR Government is working to stop using landfills before 2035. The first waste-to-energy incinerator will come into operation next year and the Government will tender out in December to build the second one which can treat 6,000 tonnes of waste per day.

Tse also said that Hong Kong is a regional hub and a gateway from the country to the other parts of the world. The country has many innovative products and many new technologies that can help greening the future, reducing carbon emissions, which can help building infrastructures and cities in a green, low carbon, and safe manner. Hong Kong can be a gateway for introducing these green technologies and products to other parts of the world.

The Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, Professor Celeste Saulo, also delivered a speech titled "Early Warning Systems for Effective Climate Action" in the side event. The Commissioner for Climate Change, Wong Chuen-fai; and the Assistant Director (Development, Research and Administration) of Hong Kong Observatory, Ms Sandy Song, shared the HKSAR Government's hydrogen energy development strategy, as well as climate service and climate change adaptation in the event.

​ Tse also met with Professor Celeste Saulo before the side event, and exchanged views on issues such as strengthening international cooperation in response to extreme weather and green energy transformation yesterday.

Tse today (November 14, Azerbaijan time) will attend the US-China Subnational Climate Leaders Dialogue hosted by the California-China Climate Institute to introduce Hong Kong's climate resilience strategy.

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