Summit provides pointers for continuing efforts to promote sustainable development

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The World Summit on Sustainable Development has provided valuable pointers for Hong Kong's own continuing efforts to promote the concept and practice of sustainability, the Director of Planning, Mr Bosco Fung, said upon his return from Johannesburg, South Africa, today (September 6).

Led by Mr Fung, an eight-strong team from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) attended the World Summit that started on August 26 as members of the delegation of the People's Republic of China.

The SAR representatives took part in a wide range of events at the summit, and gathered information and advice on issues related both to the promotion of sustainability and to other specific areas of interest.

The representatives included the Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Dr Lam Hung-kwan, senior officials from the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau; Environmental Protection Department; Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department; Territory Development Department and the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU).

Specific areas of interest covered by the SAR Government team during the summit included environmental protection, meteorological issues, planning practices, biodiversity and agriculture, and their relationship with sustainable development.

Issues related to environmental protection were widely discussed at the summit, which placed heavy emphasis on issues related to energy efficiency and conservation, greater use of renewable energy sources and biodiversity.

On energy efficiency and conservation, team member Deputy Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works (Environment), Mr Donald Tong, said, "Hong Kong has various programmes including Energy Efficiency Labeling Schemes (EELS) for home and office electrical appliances and vehicles, Building Energy Codes, energy audits and promotion of water-cooled air-conditioning. We will continue to pursue measures in this regard."

"We recognize the importance of wider use of renewable energy to conserve the earth's natural resources. We have commissioned a study to identify the types of new and renewable energy sources that have the potential for wider application in Hong Kong. We expect to complete the study around the end of 2002. In the meantime, we will continue to use renewable energy in public works projects as and when appropriate."

"We welcome the announcement made at the summit by Premier Zhu Rongji on the Kyoto Protocol to control greenhouse gas emissions. Hong Kong, as part of China, will continue with its efforts to control such emissions," said Mr Tong.

On biodiversity, the summit delegates called for immediate action within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity to reverse biodiversity losses. The summit also saw calls for partnership with local communities to help preserve biodiversity through sustaining ecosystems.

"Preservation of biodiversity is a key element in our nature conservation policy and related programmes. We support the objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Biosafety Protocol and are examining the possibility of their extension to Hong Kong," said Deputy Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Dr Liu Kwei-kin, who was also a member of the Hong Kong team at the summit.

One of the main events associated with the summit was organised by the World Meteorological Organisation, and was concerned with developing guidelines to enable meteorological agencies to reduce the negative impacts of climate change, thereby contributing to sustainable development. Dr Lam contributed expert advice and shared relevant experience with other delegates at the event.

Although not on the World Summit formal agenda, planning for sustainability was the subject of a number of the exhibitions and discussion sessions that formed the summit side programme. In particular, the team looked at the experience and practices of other cities and the lessons that these might provide for Hong Kong.

As well as attending the official World Summit programmes and events, the SAR Government team took the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual concern with representatives of other administrations. These covered in particular issues related to the building of capacity for promoting sustainable development, and appropriate frameworks for pursuing sustainable policies and programmes.

Team members also liaised closely with Hong Kong non-government organizations that were also attending the summit in Johannesburg, and exchanged views on sustainable development in Hong Kong.

The World Summit emphasized the need for capacity building and partnership among governments, business and the public to make things happen. "The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to focus on these areas, and will build on its experience at the summit in developing partnership with stakeholders in order to identify key areas for action in pursuing sustainable development," Mr Fung said.

Mr Fung said that one of the key messages of the World Summit was the need to listen carefully to the views of the community before framing strategies or implementation plans for sustainable development.

"We look forward to continuing our dialogue with interested parties on a range of issues related to sustainability, and we shall start to consider how we might frame an appropriate action plan for better promoting sustainable development in the SAR in the long term," Mr Fung added.

The SDU would prepare a summary report on the team's observations and make the report available for public information as soon as possible.

End/Friday, September 6, 2002

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