Hong Kong takes welcome step to a sustainable future
Success of a major plan for the wellbeing of Hong Kong will depend largely on whether the people buy into the government's initiatives
The release of the Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources by the Environment Bureau outlining policy proposals for the next 10 years is a welcome step in Hong Kong's becoming a more sustainable city.
However, the success of that policy vision will depend largely on the response of the community to the proposals and to similar initiatives in the areas of energy, water, and environmentally acceptable transport.
Given our compact built environment and the density of population and development, there is not only the opportunity to achieve greater sustainability, but also to become a model smart city and one of the most liveable in the Asian region - so long as we have the leadership and commitment to such a goal.
More than half of the world's population today lives in cities and this is anticipated to rise to 70 per cent by 2030, underscoring the role of cities as engines of economic growth and the need to address the rise in carbon emissions which result from such economic activity.
This need has inspired the emergence of "smart city" initiatives across the globe. "Smart" has become interchangeable with "green", but it's more than that. A smart city is one that integrates all the key resources - energy, waste, water, and transport - using innovative technologies.
I believe Hong Kong can and should become a smart city. It already scores highly in terms of its mass transit system and the use of the Octopus smart-card system. However, the government clearly needs to do more to manage other resources.