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SCMP Reporter

Lawmakers yesterday endorsed a motion urging the government to set a clear road map and timetable to  turn Hong Kong into a low-carbon economy.
Moved by Civic Party chief Audrey Eu Yuet-mee,  the motion passed with little controversy.
The legislators were generally dissatisfied  with what they claimed was the government's failure to enact clear targets to cap greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a framework and timetable to achieve that.
'The most important thing is to have targets set on how much carbon dioxide emission is to be cut, and how long it will take to meet the targets,' said Ms Eu, who wore a green outfit for the motion. 'That's why we need a clear road map.'
She said the  government target to cut energy intensity - energy consumption per GDP unit produced - to 25 per cent below the 2005 level by 2030 was misleading and insufficient.
Despite the financial crisis, she said, now was the best time for Hong Kong to invest in a low-carbon economy, such as tapping into the multibillion-dollar global carbon-trading market.
She also called for the opening of the power grid to renewable energy systems and endorsing the World Health Organisation's stringent air quality guidelines.
But Edward Yau Tang-wah,  secretary for the environment,  who received a gas mask from Greenpeace activists outside the legislature before the debate, insisted that Hong Kong was already on  track towards the low-carbon goal. He cited the measures in place including mandatory building energy codes and efforts to secure clean-energy supplies from the mainland.
He admitted   the city's carbon footprint could be further lowered.  'The problems cannot be solved by chanting slogans, wearing ... green outfits or a gas mask. We need more support from the public and we have to find a pragmatic and feasible way to address the ... challenge,' he said.
Democrat legislator Kam Nai-wai  called for regulating power plants' carbon emissions and stepping up renewable energy co-operation with Guangdong.
Lawmaker Gary Chan Hak-kan,  from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong,  proposed that power bills should incorporate carbon footprint measurement and that government could consider offering financial incentives for the public to lead a low-carbon life.



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Climate change

Lawmakers urge clear road map to achieve a low-carbon economy