The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is once again holding Green Recycling Day (GRD) activities upon the conclusion of the 10-day Hong Kong Flower Show. The GRD activities were held today (March 25) and will continue tomorrow (March 26) at Victoria Park to reinforce green measures and reduce waste, reflecting the department's commitment to implementing green measures for environmental protection in its large-scale events.
 
     More than 300 volunteers including those from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, corporates, environmental groups and local organisations, as well as volunteers from the LCSD and Green Volunteers, assisted in separating and collecting reusable and recyclable materials at the showground for waste reduction today.
 
     In addition, around 3 000 pots of flowers that are suitable for replanting were distributed to the public at the park's Sugar Street entrance.
 
     As in previous years, landscape displays suitable for reuse and flowers suitable for replanting were relocated to LCSD parks and amenity areas. Meanwhile, some of the flowers suitable for replanting were also distributed via the "Give the Flowers a New Home!" Jockey Club Flower Replanting Scheme to schools, environmental groups and non-governmental organisations to encourage greening in the community. This year, over 10 000 potted plants were distributed to some 70 organisations.
 
     The LCSD has implemented various green measures at different stages of the flower show, encouraging all stakeholders including exhibitors, contractors, volunteers and members of the public to apply the 3R principles, namely "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle".
 
     During the preparation phase, stakeholders were provided with guidelines on waste reduction. Exhibitors were encouraged to use recyclable or reusable materials in their display designs. While cleaning up the exhibits, they were reminded to collect reusable materials and separate them properly before delivering them to recycling spots set up at the showground.
 
     During the show period, visitors were encouraged to bring their own water bottles and green shopping bags. QR codes were displayed at the showground for visitors to download the location map and information on the theme flower, landscape displays and more. Free tableware rental service was also provided to reduce use of disposable plastic tableware, as part of the effort to reduce waste.
 
     Recyclables collection points were also set up to facilitate the collection of carton boxes, plastic flower pots and other plastics, soil, metals, wooden planks and more. Collection points for wilted flowers were also available for collecting wilted plants so that they can be delivered to the Animal Waste Composting Plant in Ngau Tam Mei for being recycled into useful organic compost.
 
     The flower show hoped to gather community power through implementing various green measures to achieve the goal of a "Green Flower Show for All".

        

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     Tenders of Exchange Fund Bills to be held on April 2, 2024:
 

     The Government today (March 25) issued a vision statement on developing the sustainability disclosure ecosystem in Hong Kong. The statement sets out the vision and approach of the Government and financial regulators in developing a comprehensive ecosystem for sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong.  

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "Accurate information is an essential element in facilitating green and sustainable financial services. The vision statement clearly indicates the specific direction of the Government and financial regulators regarding the development of sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong. This will help Hong Kong stay abreast of international trends in green and sustainable finance and accelerate our progress towards rising as an international green finance centre. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau will continue to collaborate with financial regulators and stakeholders to progressively enhance Hong Kong's sustainability disclosure ecosystem and realise the vision, and further promote carbon neutrality in the city before 2050 and our country's '3060 Dual Carbon Targets' as well."

     Key points of the vision statement are as follows:

1. The Government and financial regulators aim for Hong Kong to be among the first jurisdictions to align the local sustainability disclosure requirements with the International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards), showcasing to international investors and markets Hong Kong's commitment to reinforcing its leading position on the international sustainable finance map and solidifying the competitiveness of businesses in Hong Kong to address the global demand for sustainability disclosure.

2. The Government will adopt a holistic approach in developing the local sustainability disclosure standards and sustainability disclosure ecosystem. Assuming the role of the sustainability reporting standard setter in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants will develop the local sustainability reporting standards (Hong Kong Standards) aligned with the ISSB Standards as well as the complementary application and implementation guidance.

3. The Hong Kong Standards are intended for cross-sectoral observance, including listed companies and regulated financial institutions, such as banks, fund managers, insurance companies, and Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) trustees, etc. A phased implementation approach will be adopted, with application of the Hong Kong Standards prioritised for publicly accountable entities such as listed companies and regulated financial institutions.  

4. The Government and financial regulators will promote sustainability assurance to enable credible implementation, enhance capacity building to support the industry and companies, and facilitate the use of technological solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce cost and enable comparability and interoperability of disclosures.

5. The Government will work with financial regulators and stakeholders to develop a roadmap on the appropriate adoption of the ISSB Standards, and aim to launch the roadmap within 2024 to provide a transparent and well-defined pathway on sustainability reporting for businesses in Hong Kong as well as sufficient time for making preparations and developing readiness for the pragmatic implementation of the Hong Kong Standards.

     The full vision statement can be found in the Annex to this press release.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (March 25) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     From March 17 to 23, the CHP recorded two community-acquired LD cases:
 
     1. A male patient, aged 74 with underlying illnesses, who lives in North District; and
     2. A male patient, aged 82 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Yuen Long District.

     "Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     As of March 23, 15 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2023 and 2022, there were 121 and 80 cases respectively.

     "Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels," the spokesman said.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
• If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily. 

     
     â€‹The public should observe the health advice below:
     

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes: 

1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     â€‹The public may visit the CHP's LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP's risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD.
 

     The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, and a delegation of representatives from the Housing Bureau and the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) visited Huizhou today (March 25) to inspect the production progress of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) modules of Light Public Housing (LPH).

     Ms Ho; the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Miss Rosanna Law; the Director of Architectural Services, Mr Michael Li, and the delegation visited CSCEC Science and Industry Greentech Corporation Limited (CSCEC Science and Industry) in the morning to inspect the factory manufacturing of LPH MiC modules. They were briefed on the production progress and learned about the smart and automated manufacturing process. Ms Ho appreciated the project team's effort to support the challenging LPH works by investing a large amount of manpower and resources, and applying advanced management and construction technologies including the application of automatic welding systems. 

     Apart from promptly increasing production capacity, material reserves and high-calibre staff, the project team has been exploring how to optimise applications of technologies like Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MiMEP) and MiC Lift, with the target of making LPH as Hong Kong's first Steel "Full MiC" high-rise construction project. This allows for the expeditious and safe construction of LPH to help those in need improve their living conditions as early as possible. 

     CSCEC Science and Industry has been commissioned by the main contractor, Chevalier – China Railway Joint Venture, to produce about 9 300 MiC modules in total for the LPH projects at Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun Area 3A and Choi Hing Road, Ngau Tau Kok. The first batch of modules is expected to arrive in Hong Kong next month at the earliest.

     Ms Ho said that construction work of the first four LPH projects has already commenced at full speed (including the project at Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak, with China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited as the main contractor). Among them, intake for the Yau Pok Road project is tentatively scheduled in the first quarter of next year. She thanked the hard work of the construction team and encouraged them to continue deploying the best talent and most advanced construction technologies to expedite the construction, with a view to improving the living conditions and quality of family life for those currently living in inadequate accommodation at the soonest.

     The delegation visited the factory of a Hong Kong enterprise, Yau Lee Wah Construction Materials (Huizhou) Company Limited, in the afternoon to learn about the different innovative technologies and smart equipment adopted by Hong Kong contractors in manufacturing MiC modules, such as artificial intelligence automated MiC steel mold production, automatic welding systems and automatic aluminium window sash production lines. Apart from a government project of ArchSD (Chai Wan Government Complex and Vehicle Depot), the factory also supplied over 90 000 units of different types of precast elements (including MiC modules) for the public housing projects of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (e.g. Tung Chung Area 99, Anderson Road Quarry Sites R2-5 and more).

     Ms Ho and her delegation will return to Hong Kong this evening after the visit.