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A total of 91 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises, four sourcing enterprises and 20 environmental technology service providers have been recognised as "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners" at a presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme, held in Hong Kong today (November 4).
The scheme is jointly organised by Hong Kong's Environment Bureau (HKENB) and the Economic and Information Commission of Guangdong Province (GDEIC).
Officiating at the presentation ceremony, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, said: "Promoting cleaner production to enterprises is one of the key initiatives of Hong Kong-Guangdong co-operation on improving the environment in the region. Over the past few years, both sides have spared no effort in deepening their collaboration to implement the Agreement on Co-operation to Promote Energy Efficiency, Cleaner Production and Comprehensive Utilisation of Resources to Enterprises in Hong Kong and Guangdong."
"In April 2008, HKENB and GDEIC jointly launched the five-year Cleaner Production Partnership Programme to encourage and facilitate Hong Kong-owned factories in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region to pursue cleaner production practices," said Mr Yau.
"To further galvanise our efforts in promoting cleaner production, HKENB and GDEIC jointly launched the Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme in August last year to give recognition to the efforts of Hong Kong-owned factories and commercial enterprises in pursuing cleaner production," he added.
Also attending the ceremony today were the Vice-Director of GDEIC, Ms Bi Zhijian, and about 300 representatives from government, trade and industry in Hong Kong and Guangdong.
Ms Jian said that the Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme is an achievement of Hong Kong - Guangdong co-operation, which sets a good example for enterprises in both places to pursue cleaner production.
Under the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), in conjunction with environmental technology service providers in Hong Kong and Guangdong, provide professional advice and technical support to Hong Kong-owned factories in the PRD region to encourage and assist them to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices. By reducing emissions and enhancing energy efficiency, the participating factories can contribute to improving regional air quality. In response to feedback from industry, the coverage of the Programme has been widened to also provide professional advice and technical support to factories involved in the treatment and reduction of effluent discharges.
So far, more than 900 funding applications have been approved and more than 170 awareness promotion activities have been organised under the programme.
To encourage those Hong Kong-owned enterprises which have actively participated in the Programme and achieved positive results in pursuing cleaner production, the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments will jointly recognise these enterprises as "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Manufacturing)" under the Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme. In addition, sourcing enterprises which have actively encouraged their Hong Kong-owned factory suppliers to adopt cleaner production will be recognised as "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Supply Chain)". The Scheme has been enlarged this year to include a new category of commendation - "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Technology Service)", awarded to environmental technology service providers that have made commendable efforts in promoting the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme and providing good services to the Programme participants.
More details of the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme and the Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme are available on the HKPC's cleaner production website: www.cleanerproduction.hk/en_index.asp.
Ends/Thursday, November 4, 2010
Issued at HKT 14:06
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