LCQ6: Promoting green and low-carbon development in Hong Kong
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Question:
The Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China recently adopted by the National People's Congress proposes to promote green and low-carbon development, including establishing and improving the incentive mechanism for green consumption and government green procurement system as well as guiding green travel. In addition, while the HKSAR (Hong Kong Adminstrative Region) Government published the Updated Version of the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles in February 2026, the proportion of electric private cars is currently projected to remain below 50 per cent by 2030. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the current share of green and low-carbon industries in Hong Kong's gross economic volume; of the specific measures put in place by the Government to promote the development of such industries and increase their share;
(2) of the measures put in place to further improve the Government's green procurement system, including updating the approval standards for the construction of imported electric vehicles and other new energy vehicles; and
(3) given that the Government has decided not to extend the first registration tax concession arrangement for electric private cars (including the "One-for-One Replacement" Scheme), whether the authorities have assessed its impact on green travel for the public and the development of green and low-carbon industries; whether the authorities will review the relevant policies in a timely manner from the perspective of encouraging green consumption; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Resolution of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 2024 proposed to accelerate the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development. According to the definition provided by the National Development and Reform Commission, green and low-carbon industries refer to industries that utilise advanced technologies and energy to reduce the consumption of traditional fossil fuels and negative impacts on the natural environment during the production process. As of 2025, the value of the national green and low-carbon industries reached RMB 11 trillion, with over 2 million related enterprises in such industries as new energy, electric vehicles (EVs), energy conservation and environmental protection, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products, etc.
In consultation with the Census and Statistics Department and the Transport Department (TD), our reply to the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Fok is as follows:
(1) Being a city, the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) does not have the green and low-carbon industries such as energy-saving mining, desert pollution control, wind power equipment manufacturing, nuclear power plant facility construction, or EV production that are available in the Chinese Mainland. Therefore, there are no statistical data directly corresponding to the Chinese Mainland's green and low-carbon industries. The annual economic contribution of the local environmental industries relevant to the green and low-carbon industries from 2021 to 2024 amounted to more than $10 billion, accounting for approximately 0.4 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product. The Government will monitor the development of the relevant industries and conduct studies as and when appropriate.
The measures that the Government has taken to promote and enhance the development of green and low-carbon industries are as follows:
(a) Emerging Industries such as New Energy: The Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong published in 2024 provides top-level planning for hydrogen energy development. It aims to create a favorable environment for local hydrogen development in a steady and orderly manner, fostering new quality productive forces and maintaining international competitiveness. Furthermore, the Government is leading a local enterprise, a major global supplier of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), to develop its business in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to build an influential SAF value chain.
(b) Research and Innovation: The Government has injected a total of $400 million into the Green Tech Fund to support local green technology development, transforming research and development projects with application potential into commercially valuable technologies or products for local production.
(c) Building a Green Manufacturing and Services Ecosystem: The Government allocated an additional $100 million to launch a new round of Cleaner Production Partnership Programme in May 2025 to support Hong Kong-owned factories to adopt new cleaner production technologies and utilise green technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries.
(d) Promoting Low-carbon Transportation: The Government has set the target to cease the new registration of fuel-propelled private cars in 2035 or earlier, and is committed to achieving zero vehicular emissions before 2050. Since 2011, we have been encouraging the industry to test and promote the use of various new energy transportation technologies through the New Energy Transport Fund.
(e) Building Green Transportation Infrastructure: The Government promulgated the Updated Version of the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles in February this year. We will leverage market forces to build a public charging network with fast chargers as the backbone. By the end of 2035, about 10 000 fast chargers will be installed, and about 270 000 to 300 000 parking spaces with charging facilities will be able to support around 800 000 EVs. Furthermore, to promote the internationalisation of charging standards, the National Energy Administration and the Environment and Ecology Bureau have established a joint working group to launch a pilot scheme for the next-generation EV charging technology, ChaoJi, facilitating the "bringing in and going global" of the country's innovative charging technologies.
(f) Developing a Circular Economy: The Government leverages market forces to develop environmental infrastructure. For instance, Hong Kong's first large-scale EV battery recycling facility at the EcoPark is under construction, and is expected to commence operations in the first half of 2026. This facility will facilitate the development of the EV battery recycling industry and strengthen Hong Kong's role in the green value chain in the GBA. With Government's assistance, two local companies are expected to set up production lines in the Tuen Mun EcoPark by mid-2026 to upcycle local waste into core raw materials for electricity-free cooling products and acoustic metamaterial products.
(g) Promotion of Energy-efficient Products: To encourage the public to select energy-efficient appliances, the Government implements the Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme under the Energy Efficiency (Labelling of Products) Ordinance, requiring prescribed products supplied in Hong Kong to bear energy labels to inform consumers of the products' energy efficiency performance.
(2) The Government has all along been practising green procurement to implement the concept of environmental protection. The Government's Stores and Procurement Regulations require bureaux and departments to take environmental factors into consideration when drawing up tender specifications, thereby promoting green procurement while ensuring the prudent use of public funds.
The Government is also accelerating the conversion of its fleet to EVs. In February 2024, we updated the environmental requirements of private cars. Except where operational requirements preclude the use of EVs, all new or replacement private cars procured must be EVs. Senior government officials are also leading by example by procuring EVs when replacing their official cars. As the market of electric van-type light goods vehicles (LGVs) is becoming more mature, we will review the Government's Circular Memorandum "Green Procurement in the Government" to explore the feasibility of making electric van-type LGVs a mandatory requirement in future procurement. We will also regularly review with the Government Logistics Department whether to incorporate more vehicle types in the mandatory procurement requirement.
Regarding the updating of standards for the construction of imported EVs and new energy vehicles, the TD has been regularly reviewing and amending existing legislation and guidelines having regard to the standards in different countries and regions to keep pace with the latest development in the automotive market, including issuing and updating the "Vehicle Construction Approval Requirements for Electric Vehicles". This guideline incorporated national standard and other international safety standards for EVs and electric motorcycles, as well as guidance notes and specifications for electric vehicle technology and safety requirements. The guideline also accepts type approval applications for EVs equipped with battery-swapping technology. The TD will continue to maintain close communication with the trade, update the technical guidelines and streamline the approval process as and when appropriate.
(3) The Government has been encouraging the public to use public transportation and green commute methods, such as walking, to reduce carbon emissions. If it is necessary to buy a private car, an EV should be chosen. In recent years, the technology of electric private cars has matured, and the market has already been driving the green transformation of private cars. The popularisation of EVs has become an irreversible trend. It is estimated that by 2030, the number of electric private cars in Hong Kong could surpass 290 000, with over 45 per cent of private cars being EVs. By 2035, the number is projected to approach 500 000.
Thank you, President.
Ends/Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:16
Issued at HKT 17:16
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