The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, visited Eastern District this afternoon (March 22) to exchange views with District Council (DC) members on district environmental issues. He also visited the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong and Wah Ha Estate.
      
     Accompanied by District Officer (Eastern), Ms Anne Teng, Mr Wong started his visit by meeting the Vice Chairman of Eastern DC, Mr Chiu Chi-keung, and other DC members to listen to their views on the Government's environmental policies and to better understand their concerns on district environmental issues.
      
     Mr Wong then visited the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong Chai Wan campus, which commenced its operation early this year. The green architectural design of the campus has won the Green Building Award organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council and obtained a Provisional Platinum rating under BEAM Plus. With its main building facing north-south, the campus is effectively buffered from solar heat with good air ventilation. The campus is built with a green coverage standard of 30 per cent, including a vertical garden on the facade and a wide variety of plant species across the campus, which helps reduce the ambient temperature, enhance energy efficiency and creates a liveable environment for the campus. During the visit, Mr Wong also exchanged views with students of the Faculty of Design and Environment to learn more about their green project, Rainwater Garden.
      
     Before concluding his itinerary, Mr Wong paid a visit to Wah Ha Estate in Chai Wan. Wah Ha Estate has been converted to public housing from the historic Chai Wan Factory Estate, which was granted Grade II Historic Building status in 2013. The conversion project has received a number of architectural design awards and achieved a Provisional Platinum rating under BEAM Plus. While conserving the heritage characteristics of the building, a variety of green features have been incorporated in the conversion project. In addition to achieving green coverage of more than 40 per cent, the estate is also 46 per cent more energy efficient than the specification in the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department’s Performance-based Building Energy Code.
      
     Mr Wong said that encouraging different stakeholders in the community to adopt renewable energy and use energy-efficient green buildings has been the priority task in mitigating climate change. In order to promote the development of renewable energy and use of energy-efficient building installations, the Government proposed in this year’s Budget that starting from the 2018-19 financial year, the capital expenditure on these installations can be fully deducted in the first year of purchase, instead of five years as currently stipulated. Mr Wong said the Government is dedicated to promoting green buildings, enhance buildings’ energy efficiency, and promote energy saving for all to develop Hong Kong into a low-carbon green city.

Ends/Thursday, March 22, 2018
Issued at HKT 17:20

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