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How can Hong Kong play its part in China meeting its commitment to reduce the carbon intensity of its economy to 40 to 45% below 2005 levels by 2020? Tony Wood will explain ideas proposed for Australia to support low carbon electricity generation which are put forward in the ‘Building the Bridge’ July 2012 report which he authored for the Grattan Institute. There will then be the opportunity to discuss how Hong Kong, working with Mainland China, might be able to take advantage of these ideas.

Tony Wood is the Energy Program Director of the Grattan Institute. He has deep experience in the energy sector. He worked at Origin Energy for 11 years, and was an adviser to the first Garnaut climate change review. He is also program director of Clean Energy Projects at the Clinton Foundation.

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By Christine Loh

Published by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), this report provides an overview of China’s rising population, growing demand for natural resources, and increasing production of pollution, as well as its efforts to clean up the environment and reduce carbon emissions. The report was commissioned by ACCA and written by Christine Loh, when she was CEO of Civic Exchange. Download full report

Growing integration is turning cities in the Pearl River Delta region into a mega urban cluster of a projected 100 million people. Hong Kong and Macau will one day be linked with the new special zones of Hengqin (Zhuhai), Qianhai (Shenzhen) and Nansha (Guangzhou) in a densely populated corridor – each area with its own political, social and legal systems. (more…)

It has been a mixed few weeks for the shipping industry that operates in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region. First, a research study highlighted the adverse health impact of air pollutants found in ship emissions in this part of the world and recommended some action to be taken. Notably, it suggested setting up an emission control area in regional waters to protect public health.   (more…)

This report represents a joint-effort by Civic Exchange, HKUST’s Atmospheric Research Center and HKU’s School of Public Health. In this report, HKUST laid the foundation by conducting the first ever activity-based inventory of ocean-going vessels’ emissions across the whole Pearl River Delta based on 4 emissions control scenarios. HKU built on this information and made the first ever assessment of the impacts of emissions from ocean-going vessels on the health of the population in each prefecture of the PRD, Hong Kong and Macau. | Download full report | (more…)

Can Hong Kong take more visitors? The answer depends on who you ask. The truth is that there are limits and, arguably, Hong Kong has reached its capacity – and not just physical capacity, either. The ballot box will give us an important answer on Sunday. (more…)

This checklist is designed to assist decision makers to assess the biodiversity value of a study area, and arrive at a decision framework outlined in the context of the wider plans for conservation of biodiversity in Hong Kong. The decision checklist follows the framework outlined in Protecting Sites of Ecological Value: A Guide for Decisionmakers, and has been altered slightly to make the checklist more practical for decision-makers. Download checklist | Download press release