Letters | Make Hong Kong’s carbon neutral goal legally binding
- Readers call for more climate accountability in Hong Kong, explain Singapore’s talent strategy, and comment on Ukraine’s initial response to a projectile striking Poland
As youth climate activists in Hong Kong, we are inspired by the recent UK court ruling that requires the British government to update its climate strategy by setting more specific goals for achieving carbon neutrality.
In 2008, the UK parliament passed the Climate Change Act, requiring the government to reduce carbon emissions in the United Kingdom by at least 80 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050. It also expects the government to set legally binding emissions targets every five years.
Following legal challenges brought by NGOs and climate activists in July, a high court judge ruled that the government’s net-zero strategy failed to meet its obligations under the Climate Change Act. As the government’s failure to meet its short-term emissions goals was not revealed to parliament or the public, the judge emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in climate action.
Despite Mrs Lam’s pledge that Hong Kong would achieve carbon neutrality, there is no law in Hong Kong requiring the government to set milestones for achieving this goal. In its response to our inquiry, the Environmental Protection Department did not address the question on whether the government’s carbon neutrality goal is legally binding.