The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) held the National Ecology Day 2026 Launching Ceremony cum Symposium today (August 15) at the Hong Kong Science Museum. It invited representatives from the Mainland and HKSAR Governments, and non-governmental organisations, scholars and experts to exchange ideas on ecological civilisation concepts and conservation work, and set the stage for a series of activities related to environmental protection and ecological conservation.

     The launching ceremony was officiated by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan; the Deputy Director-General of the Social Development Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Ye Shuiqiu; and member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress and the President of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Dr Starry Lee.

     In his opening speech, Mr Cheuk said that August 15 marks both the National Ecology Day and the day on which the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China formally comes into effect. The HKSAR Government attaches great importance to the national initiative on ecological civilisation and is committed to putting into practice the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets". In 2025, Hong Kong's Mirs Bay was selected by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment as an "Outstanding Example of Beautiful Bays" with an excellent overall score, demonstrating that the efforts of the HKSAR Government in ecological and environmental protection have been recognised by the country, and signifying an important achievement of the HKSAR Government in jointly building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a world-class beautiful bay area. The HKSAR is, for the first time, formulating a five-year plan that aligns with the National 15th Five-Year Plan's policy direction to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, pursue green development, and boost growth so as to improve ecological environment quality, and steadily pursuing green transition, building a liveable city, and realising a beautiful Hong Kong. 

     Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Lee said that a good ecological environment is an important resource and advantage underpinning long-term development, and the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China provides a systematic legal framework for the country's ecological and environmental governance. Ecological protection concerns the daily lives of every member of the public. The Legislative Council will continue to support the HKSAR Government in governing in accordance with the law, rally the strength of all sectors of society to ensure that environmental policies are implemented with greater precision and deliver more effective results. 

     Other attending guests included the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Mr Mickey Lai; the Acting Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Vanessa Au; the Acting Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Vincent Chow; member of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, Dr Lam Ching-choi; Member of the Executive Council and Legislative Council Mr Kenneth Lau; and the Chairman of the Environment and Conservation Fund Committee, Dr Eric Cheng. The Chairman of the LegCo Panel on Environmental Affairs, Ms Judy Chan, and LegCo Members including Mr Yiu Pak-leung, Mr Lothair Lam, and Ms Julia Lau also attended.

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in Coral Conservation and Marine Conservation Public Education with the Ocean Development Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality at the launching ceremony to further enhance co-operation in coral conservation and marine conservation public education. This includes building a regular coral conservation collaboration and exchange mechanism, collaborating on research on coral restoration technology and applications, advancing the application of advanced technology in coral conservation, and joint promotion of marine conservation public education. 

     After the launching ceremony, the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre, Professor Louis Yu, hosted the symposium. Speakers of the symposium included Professor of the Academy of Arts & Design and Adjunct Researcher of the China Institute for Rural Studies of Tsinghua University, Professor Li Chaoyang; Interim Director of the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Ms Sam Lam; Associate Professor Kingsley Ng from the Hong Kong Baptist University Academy of Visual Arts; Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) and Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School, Professor Lisa Wan; and the Head of the Countryside Conservation Office (CCO) of the Environment and Ecology Bureau, Professor Stephen Tang. They shared and exchanged practical experiences in integrating arts and culture into countryside conservation and revitalisation.

     To encourage members of the public to support and participate in National Ecology Day, the HKSAR Government announced earlier that the Government and non-governmental organisations would launch a range of special activities and offers from now until late September. In addition, the Government will hold a National Ecology Day thematic exhibition at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre from September 1 to 6, as well as a sharing session and performance on September 5.

     Details of various activities and offers for National Ecology Day are available on the website of the CCO (cco.gov.hk/en/event-calendar/ned) and the Hong Kong Biodiversity Information Hub of the AFCD (bih.gov.hk/en/education-programmes/programmes/index.html). Members of the public may also obtain information on the exhibition, performances and the sharing session through the National Ecology Day thematic webpage at cco.gov.hk/en/news/ned-2026-exhibition.

Ends/Saturday, August 15, 2026
Issued at HKT 13:40

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