The Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province (GDDIIT) today (December 7) held the fifth meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production (JWGCP) in Guangzhou. A presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme (the Scheme) was also held to commend the efforts of some 150 enterprises in pursuing cleaner production.
 
     The fifth meeting of the JWGCP was co-chaired by the Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Director-General of GDDIIT, Mr Tu Gaokun, to discuss and review the work progress in 2018, as well as to promote the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and facilitate co-operation in ecological and environmental protection.

     The JWGCP agreed that the implementation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a national strategy has provided new opportunities for Hong Kong-Guangdong environmental co-operation. At today's meeting, the JWGCP also agreed on the 2019 work plan, which focuses on the continuous promotion of the use of cleaner production technologies to reduce volatile organic compounds by relevant industries and the joint implementation of the Scheme. In addition, both sides will promote the adoption of cleaner production technologies for energy saving by high energy consumption industries, and encourage Hong Kong-owned enterprises to participate in training related to acceptance procedures for cleaner production audits and undertaking cleaner production audits.

     The meeting was attended by representatives of the Environment Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Trade and Industry Department and the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government; and by representatives of GDEDIIT, the Department of Ecology and Environment and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province.

    The 10th presentation ceremony for the Scheme was also held in Guangzhou this afternoon. This year, a total of 153 enterprises were commended as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners to recognise their efforts in pursuing cleaner production. Of these, 50 and 75 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises were commended as Excellent Partners and Partners respectively. Other commended enterprises included two sourcing enterprises and 26 environmental technology service providers.

     Officiating at today's ceremony were Mr Wong and Mr Tu. The ceremony was also joined by over 200 representatives from the Hong Kong and the Guangdong governments, as well as members of trades and industries and enterprises of both places.

     Hong Kong and Guangdong have been jointly promoting cleaner production to tackle environmental pollution in the region. By adopting cleaner production, enterprises can improve their environmental performance and reduce pollutant emissions in addition to increasing their economic benefits through energy saving and waste reduction.

     The Cleaner Production Partnership Programme was launched by the EPD in collaboration with GDDIIT in 2008, with more than 3 000 funding applications approved to date. Both sides jointly launched the Scheme in 2009 to encourage enterprises to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices by commending 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/Friday, December 7, 2018
Issued at HKT 19:26

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