Letters | Climate crisis: how Hong Kong can become a carbon-neutral city by 2050

Hong Kong’s three-month public consultation on long-term decarbonisation strategies ended quietly amid the social unrest in the city and right before the United Nations Climate Action Summit. The Green Earth has submitted our views on this vital topic.

First, local power companies should consider investing in the development of large-scale renewable energy farms in the Greater Bay Area to supply Hong Kong with zero-carbon energy via dedicated cables. Project control would rest with the local power companies, reducing political and reliability concerns.

Given that this will involve a huge investment, setting up a green bond to attract public and corporate investment would make the project financially feasible.

Second, on energy conservation, the mandatory building energy code, which applies to new and existing buildings only when they undergo major renovation, is ineffective as most of the building stock can escape compliance as long as owners choose not to renovate.

Third, when it comes to transport, we must aim to go electric or use zero-carbon fuel for private and commercial vehicles. Given that other cities power heavy buses with electricity, ensuring that we do the same for our minibuses and lighter vehicles should not be an issue.