The Zhitong Finance App learned that the “Hong Kong First Five-Year Plan” and “Policy Address” were released recently. On September 21, the Secretary for the Environment and Ecology of Hong Kong, Tse Chin-wan, said in a statement on green transformation and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, that the authorities' priorities for the next five years can be classified as promoting “intranet and external communication”, joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, promoting green transformation, strengthening ecological protection, strengthening disaster prevention, mitigation and relief capabilities, and promoting trade in fishery and agricultural products and food.
Of the 22 main indicators set out in the “Hong Kong First Five-Year Plan”, five are binding targets. The Environment and Ecology Bureau accounts for four. These four indicators set clear hard targets for Hong Kong to drive a low-carbon green transition, energy transformation, and make Hong Kong a more livable city with blue skies and blue seas over the next five years.
In terms of promoting “internal and external communication”, the Hong Kong Government will continue to support the development of green technology through the HK$400 million low-carbon green research fund, give full play to Hong Kong's role as a springboard for green technology, and help the country's green technology and products go overseas.
In terms of hydrogen energy, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Agency has participated in the preparation of the national hydrogen energy standard. The goal is to help bring the standard into line with the international community.
In terms of joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, the authorities will launch the “Green Technology Bridgehead Program” in 2027 to promote green solutions and technologies through display platforms to help export green solutions to the “Belt and Road” countries. In October this year, the authorities and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will jointly host the “Belt and Road” Green Innovation Conference in Hong Kong for the first time.
In implementing the green transformation, the Hong Kong Government is making every effort to promote the reclamation project in Tseung Kwan O Area 132 to accommodate new strategic power facilities, with a view to increasing zero-carbon electricity from about one-quarter to 60% to 70% by 2035, and achieving “net zero power generation” by 2050.
In terms of new energy, the Hong Kong Government has successfully led the world's leading sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production site in Dongguan, which will be put into operation by 2030. The authorities are planning to build the first SAF hybrid facility in Hong Kong to improve the entire industrial chain.
In terms of green transportation, the Hong Kong Government is vigorously promoting the popularization of electric vehicles. Currently, the number of electric vehicles in Hong Kong has exceeded 180,000, and the entire charging system can support at least 270,000 electric vehicles. In the future, high-speed charging stations will be used as the backbone of public charging networks to facilitate charging by car owners.
The authorities are also cooperating with the National Energy Administration to build the first ChaoJi charging technology demonstration station in Hong Kong in 2027 to showcase technology compatible with national and European charging standards. In terms of electric commercial vehicles, the Hong Kong Government has set up a working group to first explore the introduction of suitable models for public light buses and promote mobile charging robots, which can provide more flexible and faster energy supplementation solutions and promote the development of electric commercial vehicles. The Hong Kong Government will also stop registering new fuel-fueled private cars in 2035, and zero vehicle emissions can be achieved by 2050.
The Environmental Protection Department will continue to optimize and expand the “Hong Kong Environmental Database” and apply AI and innovative technology more widely to routine monitoring, enforcement and license processing.
In promoting trade in fishery and agricultural products and food, the Hong Kong Government will consolidate Hong Kong's role as a food import and export trade hub, promote the export of more types of Hong Kong food to the Mainland and enjoy convenient customs clearance, and help the mainland's provinces and cities expand export sales through Hong Kong. The Administration is also conducting public consultations on amending the Sweeteners in Food Regulations to bring them into line with the international community.
On the fishery side, the Hong Kong Government will continue to provide financial and technical support to the industry to develop deep-sea aquaculture. The goal is to increase the annual production of marine fish farming in Hong Kong to about 2,000 metric tons by 2031. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will work with the Fish Marketing Office to replan the existing space in the Tai Po Fish Wholesale Market and add a fish products processing centre.
On the agricultural side, the authorities are encouraging the industry to build the first multi-storey modern and environmentally friendly pig farm in Sheung Shui, and continue to promote the development of the first phase of the agricultural park in the second phase. Meanwhile, modern science and technology agricultural parks set up in the form of public-private partnerships have been leased out to farmers one after another, and will promote the development of more recreational fishing agriculture.
The Hong Kong Environment and Ecology Bureau will continue to make every effort to accurately connect with the national “15th Five-Year Plan” in accordance with the “Hong Kong First Five-Year Plan” and “Policy Address”, promote Hong Kong's green transformation, promote green innovation, and seize the opportunities brought by the low-carbon economy. In the future, it will continue to act as a “super contact” and “super value-added person” connecting the mainland and international markets, and strive to build a “beautiful China” and a “beautiful Hong Kong”.