The Governments of Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (December 16) held the third meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production (JWGCP) in Guangzhou. A presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme (the Scheme) was also held to commend the efforts of more than 140 Hong Kong-owned enterprises in pursuing cleaner production.
 
     The third meeting of the JWGCP was co-chaired by the Vice Director-General of the Economic and Information Commission of Guangdong Province (GDEIC), Mr Lin Weichao, and the Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR, Mr Wong Kam-sing. This year, the JWGCP made good progress in its work, with various joint promotional activities held by both sides.
 
     At today's meeting, the JWGCP agreed on the 2017 work plan, which focuses on the continuous promotion of the use of cleaner production technologies to reduce volatile organic compounds, the greater use of high efficiency motors, and the upgrading of motors and injection moulding machines to enhance energy saving by related industries, as well as the joint implementation of the Scheme. In addition, both sides will synchronise the promulgation of additional information on cleaner production technologies, successful cases of cleaner production, and an online toolbox for calculating energy efficiency and pollutant emissions reduction of on the existing cleaner production websites.
 
     Also attending today's meeting were representatives from various government bureaux and departments of the two places, including the GDEIC, the Environmental Protection Department and the Science and Technology Department of Guangdong Province, as well as the Environment Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Trade and Industry Department, the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR Government.
 
    In addition, the eighth presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme was also held in Guangzhou this afternoon. This year, a total of 148 enterprises were commended as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners to recognise their efforts in pursuing cleaner production. Of these, 69 and 61 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises were commended as Excellent Partners and Partners respectively. Other commended enterprises included two sourcing enterprises and 16 environmental technology service providers.
 
     Officiating at today's ceremony were Mr Wong Kam-sing and Mr Lin Weichao. About 300 representatives from the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments, and members of trades and industries and enterprises of both places, were also present.
 
     Hong Kong and Guangdong have been jointly promoting cleaner production to tackle pollution in the region. Through cleaner production, enterprises can improve their environmental performance and reduce pollutant emissions as well as increasing their economic benefits by saving energy and reducing consumption of production materials.
 
     Since the launching of the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme (the Programme) by the EPD in collaboration with the GDEIC in 2008, more than 2 700 funding applications have been approved. Both sides jointly launched the Scheme in 2009 to commend enterprises that pursue and promote cleaner production.
 
     More details of the Programme and the Scheme are available on the cleaner production website: www.cleanerproduction.hk/en_index.asp.

Ends/Friday, December 16, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:15

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