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Climate change
OpinionComment
Justin Robertson
Justin Robertson

Opinion | How Hong Kong can tackle the climate crisis and its economic problems at the same time

  • In the midst of a climate emergency, a solutions-based approach is the way forward, pairing local innovation with government regulation
  • This can give Hong Kong a better chance of going green and becoming one of the first zero-carbon cities, which would help diversify the economy

Reading Time:3 minutes
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An aerial view of Shek O beach on a hot day on May 3. Photo: Sam Tsang
Justin Robertson
Despite the damage wreaked by Covid-19, there is amid all the uncertainty an appreciation of bluer skies and cleaner air across the world. Whether this will lead to lasting change is debatable. Many citizens seem convinced the climate crisis is beyond their understanding, comprehensible only to scientists and highly skilled professionals, and that they cannot contribute to its resolution.
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Championing a solutions-based approach is the best way to overcome this paralysis. In this context, I would like to commend the work carried out within the “Hong Kong 2050 is Now” project, and go further by proposing a new institution to kick-start Hong Kong’s efforts to address climate change.

The Hong Kong 2050 is Now report calls for strict government policy frameworks for greener buildings, electricity generation and transport, with enforceable rules and standards. But while regulations send strong signals to society, there can be a significant lag before meaningful action is taken.

Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of time in the midst of a climate emergency. The way forward is to pair local innovation, especially by engineers, financial professionals and young people, with government regulation.

The new body proposed would be named the Hong Kong Centre for a Zero Carbon Future. It would draw cutting-edge ideas from a cross-section of disciplines, with a particular focus on identifying young leaders to drive efforts to achieve the 2050 target of net-zero carbon emissions. In the next decade, the priority has to be a breakthrough in low-carbon technologies.

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First, the centre would spearhead innovation and entrepreneurship by providing funding for climate-related business plans and hosting competitions to generate creative solutions and raise the profile of the zero-carbon mission.

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