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The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands, Mrs Lilianne Ploumen, today (May 6) signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) on waste management collaboration between Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
The SOI, which outlines the common goals and objectives, serves as a foundation for collaboration between the two parties and forms an important statement on waste management and environmental protection.
Attending the SOI signing ceremony, Mr Wong said he was grateful to see that both governments intend to jointly address global environmental challenges of mutual concern by enhancing collaboration on waste issues in the areas of policy, management, resource recycling, law and enforcement, regulatory and economic instruments as well as treatment and disposal technologies.
Under the SOI, both parties will co-operate on mutually determined waste issues through the interaction of government, industry, education and research institutions.
The SOI also covers collaboration between the two parties in enhancing information exchange; training and experience sharing on the formulation, development and implementation of waste policy; management plans; recycling networks and facilities; regulatory and economic instruments; waste-to-energy and other treatment and disposal facilities.
Both parties also agreed to build on existing collaboration in the exchange of scientific studies and technological developments, and to share expertise and strategies to maximise resource recovery and minimise waste disposal.
Ends/Monday, May 6, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:18
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