The Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province (GDDIIT) today (October 27) convened the 13th meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production (JWGCP) in Hong Kong. An award presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme was also held to commend 168 enterprises actively pursuing cleaner production.
      
     The 13th meeting of the JWGCP was cochaired by the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, and the Deputy Director-General of the GDDIIT, Mr Chen Lei. At the meeting, governments of both sides reviewed the work progress in 2026 and approved the work plan for 2027. In the coming year, both sides will continue to support cleaner production in energy-intensive, polluting and water-intensive industries, including encouraging the industry to try out new cleaner production technologies and undertaking cleaner production audits, with a view to achieving energy saving, emission reduction, and consumption and carbon emission reduction, thereby improving the quality of the regional environment and accelerating the green transformation of enterprises. Both sides will also continue to promote the effectiveness of cleaner production and share related application experiences with the industry through various publicity activities.
      
     Representatives from the Hong Kong side attending the meeting included officials from the EEB, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Trade and Industry Department, the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong. On the Guangdong side, representatives from the GDDIIT, the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province attended the meeting.
      
     After the JWGCP meeting, the 2026 award presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme was held to commend enterprises that have actively pursued cleaner production. This year, a total of 168 enterprises were commended as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners. Of these, 56 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises were commended as "Excellent Partners" while 108 were commended as "Partners". Other commended enterprises included one sourcing enterprise and three environmental technology service providers.
      
     The EPD, in collaboration with the GDDIIT, launched the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme in 2008 to facilitate and encourage Hong Kong-owned factories in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices with a view to reducing emission of pollutants. To date, the Programme has provided funding support for more than 4 300 projects and achieved remarkable results in improving the environmental quality. To commend the dedicated efforts and achievements of Hong Kong-owned factories in pursing cleaner production, Hong Kong and Guangdong jointly launched the Recognition Scheme in 2009 to award enterprises actively adopting cleaner production as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners.
      
     The Programme, through funding support, encourages Hong Kong-owned factories to adopt new cleaner production technologies, and to transform and upgrade traditional industries through green technologies, hence accelerating the green transformation of enterprises and dovetailing with the country's efforts in promoting high-quality development.
      
     In addition, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, and the Director-General of the GDDIIT, Mr Zeng Jinze, signed the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Agreement on Cleaner Production (Amendment Agreement) this month to further strengthen co-operation between Hong Kong and Guangdong in cleaner production, promote adoption of new technologies, encourage enterprises to introduce more green elements in their production processes and dovetail with the country's efforts in promoting high-quality development.
      
     For details of the Programme and the Recognition Scheme, please visit www.cleanerproduction.hk.

Ends/Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:16

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