The Environment Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province (GDDIIT) today (October 29) held the seventh meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production (JWGCP) via video conference. The Environment Bureau also announced the list of Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners for 2020.
The seventh 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 the GDDIIT, Mr Tu Gaokun. The meeting discussed and reviewed work progress in 2020 and participants agreed on the 2021 work plan, which focuses on continually promoting the use of cleaner production technologies and management systems for energy saving by energy-intensive industries, encouraging the adoption of water-saving technologies and recycling of wastewater by industries, and incentivising polluting industries to undertake cleaner production audits. Both sides will also continue to support relevant trade and industry associations to carry out trade-specific promotions and publicity activities.
The meeting was attended by representatives of 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 Government of the HKSAR. On the Guangdong side, representatives of the GDDIIT, the Department of Ecology and Environment and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Environment Bureau announced the commendation of 181 enterprises as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners in recognition of their efforts in pursuing cleaner production. Of these, 39 and 129 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises were commended as Excellent Partners and Partners respectively. Other commended enterprises included two sourcing enterprises and 11 environmental technology service providers. Details are available on the cleaner production website: www.cleanerproduction.hk.
The Cleaner Production Partnership Programme was launched by the EPD in collaboration with the GDDIIT in 2008 and has supported about 3 300 projects which have contributed to saving energy and reducing emissions in the region. In light of the environmental benefits produced by the Programme, the HKSAR Government has committed $311 million this financial year to extend the Programme for five years until March 2025. The new phase of the Programme has been open for applications since June 15, 2020, and has already approved over 70 funding applications.
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