Editorial | More can be done to protect biodiversity
- A report has revealed that Hong Kong has met only six of the 20 goals under the Convention on Biological Diversity, to which it became a party in 2011. The official response falls short of the commitment and determination expected of a responsible government
Biodiversity may seem too much of a luxury to Hong Kong where development is given an overriding priority. But that does not mean we should give up striking a better balance when pursuing our needs. Even though the awareness and appreciation for the thousands of species found in the territory have grown in recent years, conservation efforts are still lagging behind.
To be fair, the city has overachieved by keeping 40 per cent of the land as country parks, compared to the convention’s target of protecting 17 per cent of the habitat. But the society warned that the green belts around country parks were under threat as the pressure for enhancing land supply for housing mounts.
The government is duty bound to craft policies to better protect biodiversity after becoming a party to the convention in 2011. A five-year action plan was laid down for the first time in 2016, with measures ranging from expanding country parks to stemming illegal wildlife trafficking. Some items have already been checked off the list, but a lot more can still be done.
Responding to the society’s report, the department said it would assess the best way forward in light of the progress over the past years. The response falls short of the commitment and determination expected of a responsible government.