Waste-to-energy facility to bolster green efforts

Ayra Wang

The city's first waste-to-energy incineration facility is set to begin service at the end of 2025, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan announced yesterday at the Hong Kong Climate Forum.

The facility is part of the city's broader strategy to combat climate change and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Tse warned that Hong Kong, a coastal city, is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather such as tropical cyclones.

Citing World Meteorological Organization data, he noted that 2024 is the warmest year on record, with extreme weather threatening communities and ecosystems.

"Achieving carbon neutrality is a daunting challenge, but it is the only option," Tse said, urging the public to embrace green transformation.

He highlighted Hong Kong's progress in reducing carbon emissions, which have dropped by some 25 percent since peaking in 2014. The government aims to cut emissions in half by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050.

To these ends, the administration plans to increase zero-carbon electricity to 60 or 70 percent by 2035.

Measures include promoting energy-efficient building designs, expanding electric vehicle charging networks and boosting recycling efforts.

Tse also highlighted hydrogen as a promising green energy source, with a new task force and strategy to support its development.

Former World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun warned that climate change is also a public health crisis.

She noted that infectious diseases such as HIV, Ebola and SARS are reemerging due to disrupted ecosystems.

Climate change also worsens mosquito-borne diseases, chronic illnesses and mental health issues, especially in low-resource countries, she added. Chan called for better tools to assess climate impacts on health, food and housing, suggesting artificial intelligence could help address data gaps in developing nations.

"The climate and health crisis is a matter of social transformation and choice," she said, citing China's success in reducing air pollution.

"After China declared air pollution its biggest enemy, Beijing now enjoys clear skies."

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com