Hong Kong government aims to slash carbon emissions with 2030 action plan
While government hopes to reduce total emissions by 26-36 per cent, some critics say the plans lack conviction
Annual carbon emissions could be slashed from around six tonnes per person to between 3.3 and 3.8 tonnes by 2030, according to the government’s latest climate change action plan.
But a think tank and green group believe the plan lacks hard targets for renewables and the ambition to phase out coal in the fuel mix.
The target, which will translate to an absolute carbon emission reduction of 26 to 36 per cent and reduction of 65 to 70 per cent in carbon emissions per GDP from 2005, will use a cleaner, less coal-intensive fuel mix and more energy efficient buildings and transport.
Renewable energy would also be applied on a “wider and larger scale”, it said.
Measures to incentivise private investment in renewables could be introduced in the post-2018 regulatory framework with power companies, which is being negotiated, the plan says.