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The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, will attend the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit in Sao Paulo, Brazil, next week to discuss strategies for tackling climate change with other member cities. He will depart Hong Kong tonight (May 25) for a brief stopover in France and Austria to learn more about geological conservation and the latest developments in European waste management technology.
Mr Yau will arrive in Paris, France, on Thursday (May 26), where he will call on the Deputy Mayor of Paris, Mr Pierre Schapira. He will then visit the Global Geoparks Network headquarters and meet with its advisors.
In the afternoon, he will attend a business luncheon organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. He will proceed to Marseille in southern France in the evening.
On Friday (May 27), Mr Yau will visit a geopark in southern France, the Reserve Geologique de Haute-Provence.
Mr Yau will then travel to Vienna, Austria, on Sunday (May 29). On May 30, he will tour a waste treatment facility in the locality, Spittelau Thermal Waste Treatment Plant. Afterwards, he will meet with the Executive Council Member of the City of Vienna, Ms Ulrike Sima, to exchange views on waste management strategy.
In the afternoon, he will speak at a roundtable lunch attended by the environmental technology sector and will then visit another waste treatment facility, Pfaffenau Waste Incineration Plant. In the evening, he will call on the Acting Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Austria, Mr Wang Shunqing.
Mr Yau will proceed to Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 31 for the C40 Summitˇ¦s opening ceremony and welcome dinner.
On June 1, Mr Yau will attend the C40 Summit working session to discuss ways of reducing carbon emissions by promoting energy efficiency in existing buildings.
Mr Yau will speak at the C40 Summit working session on June 2 to share his experiences in promoting electric vehicles and improving building energy efficiency. He will attend the closing ceremony afterwards.
Mr Yau will leave Brazil for Hong Kong on the afternoon of June 3.
Ends/Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:31
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