Opinion | Green recovery: how Carrie Lam can protect Hong Kong from future pandemics and climate disaster
- While suppressing the spread of Covid-19 must be a top priority, it would be irresponsible to overlook the environmental crisis which, if not handled intelligently, will exacerbate losses to the economy and livelihoods in Hong Kong
To repair the budget, the administration might be tempted to reduce what it spends on green or sustainable economic policies. That would be regrettably short-sighted.
What we need is not quick fixes but a resilient economy. This can best be achieved through prioritising spending on decarbonisation and sustainability. Western countries are showing the way, with European Union leaders reaching a coronavirus recovery deal that prioritises low-carbon investments.
Recent extreme weather should strengthen our belief in the need for carbon-neutral sustainable development. Examples include: in late July, the last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic collapsed, losing about 80 square kilometres in area.
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Massive evacuation under way in southwest China as floods trigger unprecedented alert
In the past two months, 27 of China’s 31 provinces have been battered by intense rain and floods, with estimated economic losses of US$12.3 billion. In the first seven months of 2020, Hong Kong recorded 26 per cent less rainfall than in the same period last year. In July, the city had the highest number of very hot days (20) and nights (21).