LCQ17: Promoting energy saving and carbon reduction in government departments and public organisations
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Question:
The National 15th Five-Year Plan proposes to accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, and establishes the "dual carbon" targets of achieving carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. The HKSAR Government has likewise taken forward four major decarbonisation strategies under Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050, namely "net-zero electricity generation", "energy saving and green buildings", "green transport" and "waste reduction", to align with the national direction. Furthermore, the Government has amended the Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance to include public facilities under the mandatory energy audits conducted once every five years, and has promulgated the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong to launch local trial projects on hydrogen as fuel. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of green energy development projects (including photovoltaic system, wind energy, green methanol, hydrogen energy and other renewable energy) implemented by various government departments and public organisations in government buildings, hospitals and public facilities in the past five years and their effectiveness;
(2) whether the Government will set phased carbon emission targets and timetables for various government departments and public organisations, and incorporate the relevant targets into the performance appraisals of the heads of such departments/organisations; if it is found that a particular department or public organisation has failed to meet the targets, whether the Government has formulated targeted remedial measures or improvement policies;
(3) whether the Government will consider further expanding the scope of energy audits for government buildings and buildings in public organisations, such as strengthening the monitoring of energy consumption behavioural patterns of public organisations and expediting the phasing out of old equipment that does not meet energy efficiency standards;
(4) whether the Government has assessed the application potential of hydrogen energy and green methanol in government departments and public organisations (such as government vehicle fleet, backup power supply for hospitals and power supply systems of public facilities), as well as the implementation plan and resource allocation arrangement for hydrogen energy and green methanol application in the next three years; and
(5) in respect of promoting domestic demand and developing the local green energy industry, whether the Government will consider adopting specific measures (such as imposing requirements to increase the proportion of green products under government procurement policies, promoting public-private partnership models to accelerate the construction of renewable energy infrastructure and providing tax concessions to encourage the industry to invest in new energy technologies), so as to align with the overall national green development?
Reply:
President,
To align with the national "dual carbon" targets, the Government strives to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and reduce the total carbon emissions from the 2005 level by half before 2035. In addition to formulating territory-wide policies, the Government has adopted a "whole-government" approach to managing the operation of government departments and has taken forward various measures in our bid to achieve decarbonisation.
In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB), our reply to the question raised by the Hon Hung Kam-in is as follows:
(1) Major works of developing renewable energy (RE) at the government buildings and facilities during the past five years (2021-2025) are as follows:
- earmarking a total of $3 billion for the installation of small-scale RE systems at government premises since 2017-2018. As at end-2025, a total of $2.4 billion has been approved for about 280 projects, including the installation of solar energy generation systems at government offices, recreational grounds-cum-rest gardens, reservoirs and pedestrian links, etc, as well as the installation of waste-to-energy and hydropower systems at sewage treatment plants. Over 170 of these projects were completed during the past five years. Upon full commissioning, all these approved projects are expected to generate a total of over 27 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year; and
- developing more waste-to-energy facilities, including the Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase I (I·PARK1) that has commenced trial operation since December 2025 and that will be expected to generate about 480 million kWh of electricity each year upon full commissioning. The Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 2 (I·PARK2), currently under planning, is expected to generate 960 million kWh of surplus electricity each year for export to the grid, apart from supporting the facility's daily operation.
Besides, in response to the long-term goal of carbon neutrality set out by the Government under the Hong Kong Climate Action Plan 2050, a number of public organisations (such as the Hospital Authority (HA) and the Hong Kong Housing Authority), tertiary institutes, and secondary and primary schools have also increased the use of RE at their respective premises.
(2) To assist government bureaux and departments (B&Ds) in setting emission reduction targets and implementing emission reduction measures in a more scientific way, the Government promulgated in 2017 the "Carbon Management in Government Buildings" circular which requires all major government buildings to undergo regular carbon audits, the results of which should be disclosed to the public through the publication of annual environmental performance reports or other means. B&Ds will follow up on the implementation of practicable carbon reduction measures based on the recommendations in the carbon audit reports. Owing to the differences in the nature and operating conditions of various B&Ds, it would be difficult to formulate a one-size-fits-all decarbonisation solution and target that are applicable to all departments.
The Government also actively encourages public organisations to set emission reduction targets and implement emission reduction measures. For example, the HA has integrated carbon neutrality as a target within the "Energy Management" principle of its Environmental Policy Statement, and has implemented a series of energy-saving and carbon reduction measures, such as continuing to replace aging air conditioning chillers with highly energy-efficient chillers in hospitals and buildings; conducting retro-commissioning projects and fine-tuning systems across hospitals to enhance efficiency; and establishing an intelligent Energy Management Database System (EMDS) to facilitate timely reviews and improve energy efficiency. Separately, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has formulated carbon management strategy and carbon reduction targets. It reduces carbon emissions through collaboration with its business partners and the implementation of measures such as optimising lighting and air-conditioning schedules in office premises, converting runway lights to LED lights, and increasing the use of electric vehicles. In addition, the AAHK launched a revamped Carbon Management System in 2024 to enhance the management of carbon emissions by the AAHK and its business partners.
(3) According to the Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance (Cap. 610) (Ordinance), when government buildings and various types of public sector buildings including hospitals, and railway stations are newly constructed or undergoing major retrofitting works, their building services installations (including air-conditioning, electrical, lighting, lift, and escalator installations) must comply with the energy efficiency standards set out in the Code of Practice for Energy Efficiency of Building Services Installation. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) reviews and updates the aforementioned Code of Practice in consultation with the industry every three years to ensure that the relevant requirements remain up to date.
In addition, the Government amended the Ordinance last year to require that the aforementioned government and public sector buildings to conduct energy audits every five years in accordance with the Code of Practice Building Energy Audit, and to disclose certain technical information in energy audit reports upon completion. This measure aims to increase transparency while encouraging the trade to proactively propose energy-saving solutions and promote the implementation of energy-saving retrofits. Once the amendments take full effect this September, it is estimated that by 2035, the amendments will save an additional 500 million kWh of electricity annually.
The Government will continue to collaborate with the trade and, depending on the implementation of the amended Ordinance, will consider in due course how to strengthen energy saving for government and public sector buildings.
(4) The Government has always been committed to promoting a green and low-carbon transition, actively exploring the potential application of hydrogen energy across various sectors to align with Hong Kong's goal of achieving carbon neutrality before 2050.
Regarding the application of power supply systems at construction sites, the Government has proactively rolled out several promotional initiatives in recent years, with a particular focus on driving the application of hydrogen fuel cell gensets (hydrogen gensets) in the construction industry:
- establishing safety and technical standards: to facilitate the safe and standardised application of hydrogen fuel cell power generation systems in Hong Kong, the EMSD published the Code of Practice for Stationary Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Systems (Code of Practice) in December 2025, providing clear technical specifications for the safe configuration and operation of these systems. Based on the Code of Practice, the EMSD has also compiled a checklist of technical documents required for hydrogen trial project applications, outlining the information applicants must submit, greatly facilitates the industry's preparation work.
- streamlining approval procedures (removing barriers and ease restrictions): in its meeting in February 2026, the Inter-departmental Working Group on Use of Hydrogen as Fuel (Working Group) formulated enhancement measures in response to industry feedback and approval experience accumulated this far. For projects with increasingly mature technologies and lower risks (such as construction site hydrogen gensets that meet specific safety regulations), applicants may be exempted from conducting a Quantitative Risk Assessment, provided that applicable requirements are met. Also, if a previously approved hydrogen gensets model is adopted, the applicant may be exempted from submitting specified technical information, thereby significantly streamlining the approval process.
- strengthening industry promotion and support: in June 2026, the EMSD compiled and uploaded A Brief on the Application of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Systems on Construction Sites to the Working Group's website, providing the industry with a comprehensive introduction to application scenarios, advantages, and the approval process. Furthermore, in the same month, the EMSD successfully facilitated the inclusion of relevant hydrogen genset manufacturers' products into the pre-approved list of the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund, offering tangible financial incentives for contractors interested in adopting them.
- technical demonstration: several hydrogen power generation projects have already been successfully rolled out in Hong Kong. These include projects supplying power to construction sites in Lok Ma Chau and Sheung Shui, projects charging electric vehicles (EVs) in Sai Kung and North Point, and a project providing power to temporary facilities for the golf event of the 15th National Games. Moreover, several other projects are underway, with information being submitted to the Working Group for approval. On another front, with the assistance of the EMSD, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) will install a hydrogen generator at its CIC-Zero Carbon Park in Kowloon Bay for EV charging, serving as an on-site demonstration of the relevant technology to the industry.
We will actively explore the application of hydrogen gensets at government construction sites. As for the its application as backup power supplies in suitable government buildings and hospitals, the feasibility will be further studied subject to the results of further safety assessments and actual operational needs. The Government will continue to uphold the principle of advancing with prudence, and review the effectiveness of the trial projects through the Inter-departmental Working Group. Taking into account technological maturity and economic viability, we will formulate the next development blueprint in due course, and make good use of existing resources and relevant funds to support suitable applications as well as research and development projects, thereby promoting the development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong.
Besides, hydrogen vehicles offer the advantages of electric vehicles, such as zero emission and minimal noise pollution, while also providing higher energy capacity and longer driving range. However, relevant technologies are still under trials or at an early stage of development, hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) vehicles have no competitive edge for small-and-medium sized and short-to-medium ranged vehicles at this moment. Therefore, the Government is currently focusing on promoting electric vehicles, which have more mature technologies and supporting infrastructure, to drive the green transformation of vehicles in Hong Kong. At the same time, the Government will also support trials of hydrogen vehicles. As Hong Kong is a compact city, the daily travel distance of most of the vehicles is relatively short. It would be more appropriate for Hong Kong to focus on exploring the development of hydrogen heavy vehicles and hydrogen cross-boundary vehicles.
At present, three HFC street washing vehicles operated by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department under the Government fleet are undergoing operational trials. The Government will collect data and gather experience of the three HFC street washing vehicles and review the operation of other HFC vehicle trial projects to further assess the future plan for the promotion of hydrogen vehicles and the arrangement for resource allocation.
In addition, the Marine Department (MD) has launched the first pilot project for methanol-powered vessels under the Government fleet, involving the building of two methanol-powered vessels for the MD. The vessels are expected to enter into service in 2029.
(5) To promote the trials of HFC heavy vehicles, the Government launched a funding scheme under the New Energy Transport Fund (the NET Fund) in December 2024 and earmarked HK$100 million in the first phase to provide funding support for local companies for the procurement of HFC heavy vehicles, establishment of hydrogen refilling facilities and hydrogen fuel expenses during the trial period.
As of June 2026, the NET Fund Secretariat has received a total of two applications, one is for trying out a HFC coach for cross-boundary passenger services, and the other is for testing out two HFC coaches for local passenger services. We are currently reviewing the applications and requesting the applicants to provide supplementary information. Once the applicants have submitted all requisite information, we will immediately submit them to the NET Fund Steering Committee for consideration and approval, with a view to commencing the trials as early as possible.
To enhance the attractiveness of the funding scheme and make good use of funding resources to encourage the trade to conduct more trials of HFC heavy vehicles, we propose to optimise and fine-tune the scope of the funding scheme. We plan to consult relevant stakeholders and trade representatives in the third quarter of this year to formulate a detailed fine-tuned proposal, which will be submitted to the NET Fund Steering Committee for consideration and approval in the fourth quarter of this year.
Besides, the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, the San Tin Technopole and the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster site in the Northen Metropolis are being developed under the steer of the ITIB. The ITIB aspires to provide innovation and technology (I&T) enterprises with strategic significance (including strategic I&T industries such as new materials, new energy, green technology, as set out in the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint) in particular those from the Chinese Mainland and overseas intending to set up business in Hong Kong, with an option of high-quality I&T site to establish research and development and design centres, pilot production bases and/or mass production facilities for related industries; and to form a vibrant I&T industry chain which provides solid support for accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and achieving new industrialisation in Hong Kong.
The Government has also put forward different measures to encourage and support the development of RE by the private sector at their respective lands and properties. An example is the introduction of a facilitation measure in April 2022 to assist the private sector in installing solar energy generation systems at open car parks. Besides, no planning permission from the Town Planning Board is required for farms, green houses/farm structures in the "Agriculture" zone to be used for generating solar energy for agricultural purpose.
In respect of green procurement, the Government has established green specifications for products and services through the green procurement list, thereby ensuring that energy-saving and carbon-reduction options are prioritised in procurement. This initiative also generates stable demand for local green energy products and helps drive the development of related industries. For instance, the Government currently mandates that all new private cars procured must be electric vehicles, and also procures products that improve building energy efficiency, including LED lamps, air conditioners with Grade 1 energy labels, and photovoltaic panels. The Government will review the green procurement list from time to time to keep abreast of the latest market development and the procurement needs of B&Ds.
Ends/Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:45
Issued at HKT 12:45
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