Letters | Move court to get Hong Kong on the road to climate justice

Name: Hong Kong could slash carbon emissions 70% with more ambitious goals, says former observatory head
Uploaded: 2020-12-01T23:25:09.000Z
Duration: 4 min 56 s
Description: Hong Kong could slash carbon emissions 70% with more ambitious goals, says former observatory head

With more evidence available on the urgency of climate justice, young people in Hong Kong should be able to work with human rights lawyers and environment experts to make strong legal arguments for the government to act decisively on climate change

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A junk sails down Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour while the iconic skyline is shrouded in a dense blanket of smog. Hong Kong is among the world’s most exposed cities to threats of coastal flooding, but has struggled to meet its goals for curbing pollution and carbon emissions. Photo: AFP

Letters

Published: 7:25am, 2 Dec 2020Updated: 3:05pm, 2 Dec 2020

As virtual exchange students from France studying at Baptist University, we found the letter from the Swedish Chamber of Commerce inspiring, as it argued the city should aim for a green economic recovery. We also agree that the target for carbon neutrality should be legally binding. To fight climate change, the citizens of Hong Kong should consider pursuing climate lawsuits to pressure the government for climate justice.

On June 24, 2015, the District Court of The Hague ruled the government had to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent compared to the level of 1990, before the end of 2020.

Citing the Netherlands Constitution and also the European Convention on Human Rights, the court announced the state had a duty to protect the citizens against severe consequences of climate change. While the case inspired more climate lawsuits around the world, including a successful case in Pakistan, relatively few people in Asian countries have challenged their governments’ climate policies in the courts.

04:56

Hong Kong could slash carbon emissions 70% with more ambitious goals, says former observatory head

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s decision to update the Climate Action Plan is a welcome move towards the long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. However, environmentalists are not convinced such neutrality can be achieved, as the city has already fallen short of its 2030 carbon emissions target.

A study on the exposure of port cities to climate extremes identified Hong Kong as one of the top 20 cities in terms of assets exposed to coastal flooding in the 2070s.

Studies have also shown that heatwaves driven by climate change will pose a significant threat to the health of Hong Kong residents, especially old people and those with chronic diseases. To protect current and future generations, the government must take more concrete action to cut carbon emission and join global efforts to curb climate change.

04:18

Hong Kong’s 11-year-old climate activist on a mission to urge adults help save future generations

Pursuing climate change lawsuits will be difficult in Hong Kong, as the Legal Aid Department has supported fewer judicial review cases in recent years. Without legal aid, few people can afford the potential legal fees plaintiffs must pay in case they lose the lawsuit.