Enhancing Hong Kong’s Energy Efficiency - Regional Programme Energy Security and Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific
Event Reports
Local representatives from academia, the civil society and the business sector including the two local power companies, land developers and property management firms sought to draw lessons from international experience and to make recommendations to Hong Kong Government.
In the first part of the workshop, research teams presented the results of Beijing, Shenzhen and Essen. The cities’ performance was rated within seven categories:
- Information and Education Provision: How do the government and local authorities inform the society and relevant stakeholders?
- Government Leadership: How do political decision makers provide a legal and regulatory framework and take the lead in promoting buildings’ energy efficiency?
- Non-financial Incentives: How are house-owners and other stakeholders persuaded to retrofit their buildings?
- Financial incentives: How does the government motivate stakeholders by reducing charges and providing monetary support?
- Green Finance and Investment: How are cost-intensive retrofitting and energy-saving measures financed from private sources?
- Buildings/Appliance Standards: Which technical requirements and standards for old and new buildings of distinct types are set in the regulations?
- Other Policy Measures: How can buildings’ energy efficiency be implemented in a sustainable energy and climate policy?
Johannes Vogel, Project Coordinator KAS RECAP, presented the case study of Essen, Germany. The city in the heart of the Ruhr area has successfully transitioned from an old-industrialized area to a low carbon city, which was well recognized as European Green Capital in 2017. A comprehensive set of policy instruments has been deployed to engage multiple stakeholders in energy efficiency-related initiatives. Government Leadership, clear regulatory frameworks and roadmaps with ambitious policy target have enabled effective policy implementation and encouraged actions from the bottom up.
Based on the findings of these case studies, the second part of the workshop assessed and evaluated the current situation in Hong Kong. Buildings are currently contributing to 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong. Commercial and residential buildings consume over 90% of total electricity. This ratio is significantly higher than in other Chinese cities. Therefore energy saving measures in Hong Kong can significantly contribute to the city’s overall emission reduction targets. It turned however out that in most of the seven categories, the other cities had more advanced strategies, policies and systems to implement energy efficiency measures. The attendees discussed how to adapt and implement those measures in Hong Kong.
