The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, attended the 17th Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) today (October 21).
SIEW is organised by the Energy Market Authority under the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) of Singapore. The theme this year is "A Connected and Sustainable Energy World". Mr Tse attended the SIEW Summit to speak on the topic of Asia's Collaborative Journey to a Sustainable Energy Future, and engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges with other participants.
Speaking at the Summit, Mr Tse said that Hong Kong strives to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality before 2050. The carbon emissions in Hong Kong peaked in 2014. Compared to the peak, the carbon emissions of Hong Kong have reduced by about a quarter and the target is to reduce them by half before 2035. Hydrogen energy is a low-carbon energy with development potential. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is advancing with prudence to create an environment conducive to the development of hydrogen energy, which includes improving legislation, setting up infrastructure and funding trial projects. He said, "Our country places great emphasis on developing hydrogen technology, and has a number of high-quality products and advanced technology. Hong Kong can grab the opportunity to become a hub for the country to promote different products and technologies, helping Hong Kong and other countries to promote a green transition."
Mr Tse also pointed out that there are three key elements to promote regional collaboration, namely political will to set policy targets, active participation from industries and the establishment of an exchange platform for sharing experiences and seeking co-operation. He expressed his gratitude to SIEW for providing an excellent platform that brings together various parties to explore new opportunities and collaboration.
In the afternoon, Mr Tse met with the Senior Minister of State for the MTI, Ms Low Yen Ling, to exchange views on hydrogen development. He later met with officials of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore to learn more about the latest developments of green maritime fuel in Singapore.
Mr Tse also visited a local shipping company today and received a briefing on the supply chain and bunkering operations of green marine fuels, particularly the application of green methanol.
Tomorrow (October 22), Mr Tse will visit a local enterprise to understand better the developments and applications of sustainable aviation fuel. He will return to Hong Kong the same evening.
Follow this news feed: East Asia