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The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, and a green tech mission from Hong Kong arrived in Malmo, Sweden today (April 26, Sweden time).
While in Malmo the mission, comprising 20 professionals and business representatives from 15 academic, quasi-government bodies and commercial organisations, will learn about the city's achievements in sustainable development and seek to identify green business opportunities.
On his arrival, Mr Yau attended a breakfast meeting with the Mayor of Malmo, Mr Ilmar Reepalu, to exchange views on environmental issues of mutual concern. He then joined the mission for a meeting with local companies on the Sustainability Charter, which was signed between Hong Kong and Malmo in 2011 to encourage partnership between the two cities in achieving sustainable development.
The mission met with the Malmo business sector for an exchange of ideas on sustainability challenges and business opportunities between two places, as well as on Hong Kongˇ¦s role in helping European companies enter the Asian market. The mission then toured Malmo's Western Harbour, a flagship urban redevelopment that has adopted an ecological approach to city planning and construction.
Mr Yau took the opportunity to visit Malmo's neigbouring city, Lund. He first called on the Mayor and President of Lund City Council, Ms Annika Annerby Jansson, and was briefed on two major sustainable development research facilities, namely the European Spallation Source (ESS) and MAX IV. Mr Yau then attended a luncheon hosted by the Mayor and Chairman of the City Executive Committee of Lund, Mr Mats Helmfrid.
In the afternoon, the mission will listen to presentations by representatives from the local commercial sector, including EON, an international energy company, and MINC, a business incubator for nanotechnology companies. This will be followed by a visit to Augustenborg, an eco-friendly part of Malmo, where the mission will learn about the advanced water treatment technology developed by innovative company Watreco and the environmentally-friendly features of Greenhouse Augustenborg, an ecologically planned housing estate. They will also tour a shopping mall, which has been designed to achieve high energy efficiency.
Mr Yau will return to Copenhagen, Denmark in the late afternoon to pay a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to Denmark, Mr Li Ruiyu, and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Mr Frank Jensen.
Mr Yau and the mission will proceed to Edinburgh in Scotland in the evening.
Ends/Thursday, April 26, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:00
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