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The Governments of Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (October 29) held the second meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production (JWGCP). A presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme (the Scheme) was also held to recognise the efforts of more than 160 Hong Kong-owned enterprises in pursuing cleaner production.
Hong Kong and Guangdong jointly promote cleaner production to tackle pollution in the region. Through cleaner production, enterprises can not only improve their environmental performance and reduce emissions of pollutants, but also increase their economic benefits by saving energy and reducing consumption of production materials.
The second meeting of the JWGCP was co-chaired by the Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Vice Director-General of the Economic and Information Commission of Guangdong Province (GDEIC), Mr Lin Weichao. The JWGCP made good progress in its work in 2015. The Government of the HKSAR extended the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme (the Programme) for another five years to 2020 with additional funding of $150 million. The Government of Guangdong Province granted a cash reward to those enterprises which obtained a commendation as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Manufacturing) from Guangdongˇ¦s funding scheme for energy saving and consumption reduction. Both sides also enhanced the Scheme and jointly organised various promotion activities.
The JWGCP agreed on a work plan for 2016 at the meeting, mainly including that both sides should continue to take forward the Programme, jointly organise the Scheme, encourage relevant industries to adopt cleaner production technologies for reduction of volatile organic compounds, greater use of high efficiency motors, and the upgrading of motors and injection moulding machines for energy saving. In addition, both sides will establish a mechanism to synchronise the promulgation of information on relevant policies and initiatives as well as on the promotion of activities through existing cleaner production websites.
Attending the meeting today were representatives from government bureaux and departments of two places, including the GDEIC and the Environmental Protection Department of Guangdong Province as well as the Environment Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Trade and Industry Department, the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR Government.
A total of 163 enterprises were commended as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners to recognise their efforts in pursuing cleaner production at the seventh presentation ceremony of the Scheme held this afternoon. Of these, 73 and 74 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises were respectively commended as Excellent Partners and Partners. Other enterprises commended included three sourcing enterprises and 13 environmental technology service providers.
The officiating guests of the ceremony included the Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR, Mr Wong Kam-sing; the Counsel of the Department of Energy Conservation and Resources Utilization of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Mr Li Li; and the Vice Director-General of GDEIC, Mr Lin Weichao. About 300 representatives from the governments of Hong Kong and Guangdong, trades, industries and enterprises were also present.
Since the launch of the Programme by the EPD in collaboration with the GDEIC in 2008 more than 2 500 funding applications have been approved. Both sides jointly launched the Scheme in 2009 to commend enterprises that pursue and promote cleaner production.
More details of the Programme and the Scheme are available on the cleaner production website: www.cleanerproduction.hk/en_index.asp.
Ends/Thursday, October 29, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:22
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