The Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province (GDDIIT) today (December 7) held the fifth 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 some 150 enterprises in pursuing cleaner production.
 
     The fifth meeting of the JWGCP was co-chaired by the Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Director-General of GDDIIT, Mr Tu Gaokun, to discuss and review the work progress in 2018, as well as to promote the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and facilitate co-operation in ecological and environmental protection.

     The JWGCP agreed that the implementation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a national strategy has provided new opportunities for Hong Kong-Guangdong environmental co-operation. At today's meeting, the JWGCP also agreed on the 2019 work plan, which focuses on the continuous promotion of the use of cleaner production technologies to reduce volatile organic compounds by relevant industries and the joint implementation of the Scheme. In addition, both sides will promote the adoption of cleaner production technologies for energy saving by high energy consumption industries, and encourage Hong Kong-owned enterprises to participate in training related to acceptance procedures for cleaner production audits and undertaking cleaner production audits.

     The meeting was attended by representatives of the Environment Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Trade and Industry Department and the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government; and by representatives of GDEDIIT, the Department of Ecology and Environment and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province.

    The 10th presentation ceremony for the Scheme was also held in Guangzhou this afternoon. This year, a total of 153 enterprises were commended as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners to recognise their efforts in pursuing cleaner production. Of these, 50 and 75 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises were commended as Excellent Partners and Partners respectively. Other commended enterprises included two sourcing enterprises and 26 environmental technology service providers.

     Officiating at today's ceremony were Mr Wong and Mr Tu. The ceremony was also joined by over 200 representatives from the Hong Kong and the Guangdong governments, as well as members of trades and industries and enterprises of both places.

     Hong Kong and Guangdong have been jointly promoting cleaner production to tackle environmental pollution in the region. By adopting cleaner production, enterprises can improve their environmental performance and reduce pollutant emissions in addition to increasing their economic benefits through energy saving and waste reduction.

     The Cleaner Production Partnership Programme was launched by the EPD in collaboration with GDDIIT in 2008, with more than 3 000 funding applications approved to date. Both sides jointly launched the Scheme in 2009 to encourage enterprises to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices by commending 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.

     Hong Kong Customs today (December 7) alerted members of the public to potential strangulation hazards posed by the cord of a children's jacket.

     Customs officers today seized a total of seven children's jackets from a retailer. The cord near the neck part of the jacket was found to pose a risk of strangulation, violating the requirements of the relevant standard.

     A prohibition notice was served on the retailer concerned, prohibiting the continued sale of the children's jacket.

     Customs reminds parents to watch out for potential hazards when selecting clothing for their children to avoid accidents.

     Customs is committed to the protection of consumer interests and regularly conducts spot checks and safety tests on consumer goods to ensure that they are reasonably safe for use by consumers.

     Under the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance, it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirements for consumer goods. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent convictions.

     Members of the public with information relating to unsafe consumer goods may report via the Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     The Transport Department (TD) today (December 7) reminded the public that a number of special traffic and transport arrangements, including a change of bus services, will be implemented in the vicinity of Hong Kong Island North to facilitate the holding of the "Hong Kong Island 10K City Race 2018" this Sunday (December 9).
 
     The race will take a route via Convention Avenue, Hung Hing Road, Marsh Road, Marsh Road flyover, Lockhart Road, Percival Street, Hennessy Road, Yee Wo Street, Sugar Street, Gloucester Road, Victoria Road flyover and the section of Island Eastern Corridor between North Point and Causeway Bay, and finish at Convention Avenue.
 
     To facilitate the holding of the race, extensive road closures including the section of Island Eastern Corridor between North Point and Causeway Bay, the section of Hennessy Road eastbound near Causeway Bay, Yee Wo Street eastbound and the roads in the vicinity of Wan Chai North, will be implemented in stages on Hong Kong Island North.
 
     The TD anticipates that the traffic in the affected areas and the major roads in the vicinity, such as Gloucester Road, Victoria Park Road, Fleming Road, Canal Road flyover, Hennessy Road, Percival Street, Pennington Street, Leighton Road, King’s Road, Java Road, the Cross Harbour Tunnel and the Aberdeen Tunnel, will become significantly more congested than on normal Sundays.
 
     Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the affected or congested areas, especially in the vicinity from North Point to Wan Chai, unless necessary. In case of road closure and traffic diversion, motorists should follow the instructions of the Police on site and the guidance of road signs, and stay alert to the latest traffic news through the media.
 
     Owing to extensive road closures in the vicinity from North Point to Wan Chai, a total of 81 bus routes and 10 green minibus routes will be diverted, and the bus terminus at the Wan Chai North Temporary Public Transport Interchange and the bus terminus on Whitfield Road will be suspended. Public transport operators will display notices on site to inform passengers of the temporary arrangements.
 
     The TD appealed members of the public to plan their journeys in advance and use alternative travelling routes to avoid unexpected delay, as well as take public transport services (particularly railway services) when going to the aforementioned areas. Public transport commuters are advised to pay attention to the arrangements of route diversion and changes of stop locations.
 
     The special traffic and transport arrangements will mainly include:
 
Road closures and traffic arrangements
——————————————–
 
1. The following major roads will be temporarily closed in stages from about 2am:
 
– Convention Avenue;
– Tonnochy Road;
– Hung Hing Road;
– Marsh Road and Marsh Road flyover;
– The section of Lockhart Road eastbound between Marsh Road and Percival Street;
– The section of Percival Street between Lockhart Road and Hennessy Road;
– The section of Hennessy Road eastbound between Percival Street and Yee Wo Street;
– The section of Yee Wo Street eastbound between Hennessy Road and Sugar Street;
– Sugar Street;
– The section of Gloucester Road between Gloucester Road service road and Causeway Road; and
– The section of Island Eastern Corridor between North Point and Causeway Bay (both bounds).
 
2. The on-street parking spaces within the closed road areas and in the vicinity (such as Jaffe Road) will be suspended, and vehicles in car parks within the road closure areas may not be permitted to enter or leave the car parks during the road closure period.
 
Public transport services
—————————
 
1. A total of 81 bus routes and 10 green minibus routes will be diverted;
 
2. The bus terminus at the Wan Chai North Temporary Public Transport Interchange and the bus terminus on Whitfield Road will be suspended in stages from about 2am;
 
3. Bus stops, taxi stands, public light bus/green minibus stands, cross-boundary coach stops within the closed roads and its vicinity (such as Leighton Road, Pennington Street) and the tram stop on Percival Street will be suspended; and
 
4. Ten special bus services will be operated to assist runners going to Wan Chai on the race day.
 
     Other ad-hoc traffic and public transport measures, including adjusting the extent of road closures, traffic diversions, alteration and suspension of public transport services may be implemented by the Police at short notice depending on the actual traffic and crowd conditions. Public light bus drivers and taxi drivers who go to Wan Chai North for refilling are advised to take note of the road closure arrangements implemented in the areas. The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures whenever necessary.
 
     For details of the race, members of the public can browse the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association’s website (hkaaa.com/en/comp_details.php?id=130). For enquiries on the special traffic and transport arrangements, members of the public can call 1823 or browse the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) for more details.

     The Labour Department launched a prosecution against Yau Kwong Electricians, Plumbers and Drainage Company Limited for failing to pay compensation within a prescribed period after the issue of the Certificate of Compensation Assessment for Fatal Case by the Commissioner for Labour, in violation of the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (ECO). The employer was convicted at Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (December 7) and fined a total of $60,000.

     On June 23, 2016, a plumber fell from a wooden ladder to the ground while working. He was sent to hospital for medical treatment but died on June 25, 2016. His employer failed to pay compensation to the eligible members of his family within the prescribed period under the ECO.

     â€‹Section 6D(1) of the ECO stipulates that an employer shall pay compensation not earlier than 42 days but not later than 49 days after the date of issue of the Certificate by the Commissioner for Labour. An employer who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes the above provision is liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 on conviction.

     Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) held a joint press conference today (December 7) and urged the public to take precautions against the cold weather early to midweek next week.
 
     Speaking at the joint press conference, the Assistant Director of the HKO, Dr Cheng Cho-ming, said a cold front had arrived in the south China coastal areas this morning and it had become appreciably cooler locally. The associated intense northeast monsoon is expected to affect southern China over the next few days and local temperatures will drop further with a few rain patches. It will be even colder early to midweek next week. Members of the public, particularly senior citizens and persons with chronic medical conditions, should take note of the weather change and protect themselves against the potential health impact caused by low temperatures.
 
     Dr Cheng noted that the HKO's online information service has been very popular among the public for the provision of timely weather information. As at November this year, the total number of page views of the HKO's website had exceeded 130 billion. The HKO will continue to enhance its online services in the future.
 
     The Chief Executive Officer of the SCHSA, Ms Maura Wong, said that as the weather will turn cold over the next few days, the public should show more care to elderly people, especially singletons and doubletons. It is more likely for seniors to suffer from tracheal problems or other illnesses when the temperature drops significantly. Due to decreased mobility, some senior persons may also suffer from a decline in their ability to conserve body heat. The SCHSA urges the public to show more care to the elderly and remind them to take appropriate precautions against the cold weather.
 
     The HKO has been closely collaborating with the SCHSA over the years to promote the use of weather information for better care of the elderly. Two "Weather and Photography" workshops, as well as the second "Sky of Silver Age" weather photo and time-lapse video competition were jointly organised  this year and were well received by the public. Some of the winning entries were adopted in the Hong Kong Observatory Calendar 2019. Looking forward, the HKO and the SCHSA will continue to strengthen collaboration through social media, including producing short video clips with the Silver Age Studio of the SCHSA, which will be uploaded to social media platforms to share tips with the elderly on how to prepare for different types of weather.
 
     The public can obtain the latest weather forecast and the nine-day weather forecast by using the HKO's Dial-a-weather service at 1878 200, or the HKO's mobile app "MyObservatory", or visiting the HKO's website at the following links:
 
Weather forecast: www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/flw.htm
 
Nine-day weather forecast: www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/fnd.htm