A year ago, the government didn't have much to say about climate change. Hong Kong's greenhouse gas emissions were too small in world terms for it to worry about. Now the administration is at least initiating a consultancy study to assess various aspects of climate change in Hong Kong. The government wants to review the sources of the city's greenhouse gas emissions, project future trends and assess the potential impact of climate change in the city. It will evaluate existing measures and recommend strategies to control these emissions.
The study will also look at how Hong Kong may need to adapt to climate change, since scientific evidence shows the planet is heading for a certain degree of warming. As far as this city is concerned, temperatures are set to rise in the coming decades, as will the sea level.
The study, once consultants are appointed, will take 18 to 24 months to complete. The government wants to use it in establishing a scientific basis for designing a long-term strategy and preparing a submission to Beijing for its reporting obligations under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The treaty does not impose emissions cuts on the mainland or in Hong Kong, but it does require China to report on the sources of emissions. The next report is due in 2010, two years before the protocol expires.
The study will include impact assessments on public health, food, air quality, coastal areas, infrastructure, stormwater and sewerage systems, ecosystems, marine resources, buildings, energy and various economic activities.
China has an important part to play in shaping the post-Kyoto arrangements, as it is fast becoming - if it isn't already - the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. It and the United States together generate some 40 per cent of the world's emissions. Thus, both have crucial roles to play in defining how the world will deal with climate change.
Man-made greenhouse gases are generated in large part by the burning of fossil fuels. Beijing's published energy plan stresses becoming much more energy efficient, squeezing more use out of every unit of energy. It has also published a climate change plan, this year, which dovetails with its energy goals. Beijing is already pushing state-owned enterprises to meet new energy targets, but the nation can do more at the sectoral, regional and city levels. These are all areas where Hong Kong can play a role.
