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Following is the transcript (English portion) of remarks made by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, at a media session after the Trade Development Council Eco Expo Asia 2009 - Networking Luncheon this afternoon (June 12):
Reporter: Any more dollar for dollar subsidy schemes?
Secretary for the Environment: I think we have two very successful schemes whereby using the dollar for dollar subsidy has triggered off a new wave of green development. On the one hand, the success of the $93 million cleaner production project would have attracted more than 200 Hong Kong-invested factories in turning the production lines cleaner and greener. So this dollar for dollar project has triggered some success. On the other hand, on the local front, the $450 million project advocating building energy efficiency has also so far in two months' time attracted more than 400 applications. It speaks for itself that these schemes would invite people to think consciously how they can reduce carbon emission, how they can help clean our air and at the same time, save the electricity bill. So I think this model has worked well. We will see how things go. Certainly, these are efforts that both the Government and the community are happy to see.
Reporter: Are there any short-term initiative in terms of environmental protection as one of the new pillars of Hong Kong economy?
Secretary for the Environment: That's definitely one of the very important areas where we can continue to embark on. Environmental protection does not necessarily be an industry of the sort. Because, in different profession and industry, there could be green elements, or what I call, green DNA which is yet to be discovered, but could be pulled together to become a new industry on new economic momentum. I think the schemes the Government had rolled out so far are targeting at identifying these new opportunities whereby every single industry can go green and seize the green opportunity.
(Please refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Friday, June 12, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:42
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