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The Hong Kong/Guangdong Joint Liaison Group on Combating Climate Change (JLGCCC) held its fourth meeting in Hong Kong today (August 31). The meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary for the Environment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Deputy Director of the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission, Mr Wu Daowen. The meeting reviewed the progress of co-operation in 2014-15, and agreed on a work plan for 2015-16. The achievements last year mainly include:
* The Hong Kong Observatory and the Guangdong Meteorological Bureau carried out exchanges on climate projection for the Pearl River Delta region in June 2015, compared the results of different projection methods used by the two sides, and submitted a report on the comparison results;
* The Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Guangdong Department of Land and Resources, the Drainage Services Department and the Guangdong Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development held exchanges on slope safety management and urban drainage system design at Guangzhou and Shenzhen in March and July 2015 respectively, and visited relevant facilities;
* The Environment Bureau and the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission exchanged information on the progress of climate change adaptation work to assess the scope of collaboration on climate change adaptation issues of mutual concern.
* The Environment Bureau and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department held a seminar on measures and technologies relating to energy conservation and building efficiency in Hong Kong last October. Representatives from the Guangdong Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development attended the workshop. Around 100 people from both sides attended the workshop and carried out technical exchanges and visits on relevant areas; and
* The China Quality Certification Centre Guangdong Branch and the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong jointly commenced in 2014 a study on a Guangdong-Hong Kong mutual recognition scheme for carbon labeling, with a view to exploring feasible options to establish the system. In July 2015 the Hong Kong side shared with the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission details of the operation and experience of Hong Kong's carbon footprint repository, which could help Guangdong understand the progress of relevant work.
The work plan for 2015-16 mainly includes:
* Carrying out exchanges on techniques of short-term climate forecast to enhance the relevant capability of both sides. The scope of discussion covers average temperature, total rainfall and frequency of occurrence of extreme weather events;
* Carrying out exchanges and assessments on the risks and other potential impacts of climate change on influenza, thus facilitating Guangdong's development of models for climatic warning and indicators of different risk levels of influenza;
* Carrying out further exchanges on urban drainage system design;
* Carrying out further exchanges on slope safety management;
* Continuing support for exchanges on low-carbon products certification; and conducting exchanges on carbon labeling for construction materials;
* Jointly participating in a "Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Reporting and Verification Workshop" to be held in Hong Kong, to enhance government departments' competence in Greenhouse Gas emission information management.
The JLGCCC was set up under the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference in 2011, with a view to co-operating on combating climate change, co-ordinating relevant measures and activities, and promoting related scientific research and technology development. Under the JLGCCC, two working groups have been set up to initiate and enhance exchanges on adaptation to climate change impacts and mitigation measures respectively.
The government bureaux and departments which attended the meeting today included, from Hong Kong, the Environment Bureau; the Environmental Protection Department; the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department; the Civil Engineering and Development Department; the Drainage Services Department; the Department of Health; the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department; the Hong Kong Observatory; the Transport Department and the Water Supplies Department; and from Guangdong, the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission; the Provincial Department of Science and Technology; the Provincial Department of Land and Resources; the Provincial Environmental Protection Department; the Provincial Communications Department; the Provincial Water Resources Department; the Provincial Department of Agriculture; the Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission; the Provincial Forestry Department; the Provincial Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision; the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province; the Provincial Meteorological Bureau and the Provincial Academy of Sciences.
Ends/Monday, August 31, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:36
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