https://www.scmp.com/rss/511021/feed Kitty Tam Tsz-ching is programme lead at Civic Exchange think tank. Previously, she was assistant manager, conservation policy, at WWF-Hong Kong. She majored in geography, business management and environmental governance. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kitty Tam,Calvin Au Kitty Tam,Calvin Au When people picture Hong Kong, they often imagine a relentless concrete jungle – a vertical city where glass and steel dominate the skyline. Yet a quiet revolution is beginning to reshape how our city develops. Last week, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department jointly launched the Hong Kong Nature-based Solutions Design Guidelines. This landmark document signals a shift in how we think about infrastructure and urban planning. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346141/stay-competitive-hong-kong-must-embrace-nature-based-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346141/stay-competitive-hong-kong-must-embrace-nature-based-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Kitty Tam Kitty Tam Just weeks ago, Hongkongers were worrying about unusually dry weather. April, May and June this year were relatively dry – flowers wilted early, reservoirs dipped, and farmers across the New Territories and Lantau feared crop losses. Then came July and these early days of August: torrential downpours, landslides, flash floods and back-to-back black rainstorm warnings that brought the city to a standstill. What we are witnessing isn’t just erratic weather. It’s climate whiplash – and it’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3321191/dry-june-wet-july-climate-whiplash-hong-kongs-doorstep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3321191/dry-june-wet-july-climate-whiplash-hong-kongs-doorstep?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2025 22:30:07 +0000 The UN Cop16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia, ended over the weekend in a mix of achievements and setbacks. The question remains: can countries’ goal to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 be met? While an agreement on a new Cali fund to share the revenue derived from “digital sequence information”, or genetic data from nature, with indigenous communities is a step forward, it is worrying that wider negotiations for nature funding were suspended. Without a solid finance strategy, the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3285358/takeaways-hong-kong-hit-and-miss-cop16-nature-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3285358/takeaways-hong-kong-hit-and-miss-cop16-nature-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Nov 2024 01:30:07 +0000 The Northern Metropolis development plan faces many challenges in striking a balance between conservation and development. Although the area possesses valuable natural resources, such as wetlands, which are crucial for the city’s well-being, Hong Kong is dealing with limited land that is suitable for development, resulting in a severe shortage of living space and a stalled industrial transformation. Developing the Northern Metropolis adjacent to the innovation and technology hub of Shenzhen is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3242476/why-hong-kong-must-adopt-nature-based-solutions-northern-metropolis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3242476/why-hong-kong-must-adopt-nature-based-solutions-northern-metropolis?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Nov 2023 01:30:19 +0000 The deluge of record-breaking rainfall that submerged Beijing’s streets and the blazing wildfires that tore through the Hawaiian island of Maui might seem unrelated, but there exists an unexpected connection between these seemingly distant events. Despite their apparent differences, these events have important similarities that can teach us valuable lessons as Hong Kong faces its own challenges from the often-unnoticed but dangerous climate crisis. First, a common thread lies in the extreme... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232089/climate-change-what-maui-wildfires-and-beijing-floods-can-teach-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232089/climate-change-what-maui-wildfires-and-beijing-floods-can-teach-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 22:15:09 +0000 On July 6, the world recorded its hottest day, in a week that saw records broken three times, raising concerns about climate change. Scientists say these extreme temperatures should not be seen as isolated incidents but as part of a larger pattern of human-induced global heating that has been unfolding over the past 150 years. Heatwaves are affecting regions from the United States to Europe and China. In Hong Kong, the frequency of “very hot” days – when temperatures reach 33 degrees Celsius or... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228855/hong-kong-must-heed-global-warming-signs-and-push-climate-efforts-harder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228855/hong-kong-must-heed-global-warming-signs-and-push-climate-efforts-harder?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 00:15:08 +0000 The scheme of control agreements, signed between the government and the city’s two power companies, have been instrumental in Hong Kong’s efforts to stabilise energy prices and improve air quality. To compare electricity price trends, London has experienced a staggering 103 per cent increase over the past two years, while Singapore has witnessed a 41 per cent rise. In contrast, Hong Kong has maintained relatively stable energy prices. Since the 1990s, the power sector has also made significant... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221697/reviewing-power-deals-hong-kong-can-seize-chance-cut-emissions-limit-climate-impact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221697/reviewing-power-deals-hong-kong-can-seize-chance-cut-emissions-limit-climate-impact?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 00:15:16 +0000 Sunday marked the conclusion of yet another United Nations climate change conference (COP27). The goal was to reset targets to save humanity from the ravaging impacts of the climate crisis, yet the result was inadequate, with many countries resisting change. In 2015, at COP21, 196 parties signed the Paris Agreement on climate change. It obliges participating countries to commit to action plans for climate change mitigation, adaptation and financial alignment, with the aim of limiting global... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3200574/cop27-should-be-hong-kongs-call-climate-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3200574/cop27-should-be-hong-kongs-call-climate-action?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:15:10 +0000 The UN climate change conference (COP26) that concluded last month needed to be a game changer in the pace and scale of climate action. However, commitments fell short of those required to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It is important to realise the seriousness of these objectives. At a global scale, 2 degrees of global warming represents an existential threat to millions of people, with catastrophic effects on agriculture, health and city... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3158374/how-hong-kong-can-do-its-part-achieve-cop26-climate-change-goals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3158374/how-hong-kong-can-do-its-part-achieve-cop26-climate-change-goals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:15:16 +0000 The Hong Kong government launched its updated Climate Action Plan 2050 earlier this month, aiming to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and pledging HK$240 billion (US$30.9 billion) for climate actions. COP26, the UN climate conference starting in Glasgow on October 31, represents a critical moment in our urgent response. But as the Hong Kong government addresses the climate crisis, it is essential that it does not overlook another crisis driven by Hongkongers: the catastrophic loss in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3153150/hong-kong-must-tackle-biodiversity-and-climate-crises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3153150/hong-kong-must-tackle-biodiversity-and-climate-crises?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Oct 2021 01:15:09 +0000