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After COP21: Global Problems, Local Solutions

by Eric Lee

Internationales Studentenforum

On April 9-10, 2016, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, RECAP Hong Kong sponsored a "Student Energy Forum" on “After COP21: Global Problems, Local Solutions”, co-organized by the Hong Kong-America Center and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

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At the Paris COP21 climate conference in December 2015, over 195 nation states reached a historic agreement to make joint efforts in mitigating climate change. Hong Kong has set up its own ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of China´s overall efforts, as highlighted in the welcoming speeches by Dr. Peter Hefele, Director of RECAP Hong Kong, Prof. King-Lau Chow, Director of Interdisciplinary Programs Office at the HKUST and Mr. Morton Holbrook III, Director of the Hong Kong-America Center. They also made clear that every stakeholder, each citizen can contribute to climate change mitigation actions from the bottom level. The forum aimed at providing concrete solutions for the metropolitan area of Hong Kong in different fields of action, like transport, waste management and energy efficiency.

The energy forum was divided into two parts. A symposium on Saturday 9 April, featuring renowned experts from local politics, business and civil society shared valuable insights into the energy development strategy of Hong Kong; Late Saturday and Sunday students then engaged in working groups designing new conceptional approaches in energy intensive sectors and finding local solutions.

About 110 university students and teachers attended the first part of the event. At the start of the keynote session, Mr. Eric Berti, the Consul General of French Consulate General Hong Kong, gave an overview on the significant achievements of Paris COP21 agreement. The Paris declaration will serve as a foundation for triggering further national and local actions on climate change. Prof. Michael Palocz-Andresen from Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany, spoke about Germany's national energy transition to renewable energy (the so called "Energiewende") and its driving forces behind. Ms. Christine Loh, Under Secretary for the Environment at the Hong Kong SAR Government, outlined strategic efforts of the Government in the fields of building energy efficiency, waste treatment, traffic and reduction of fossil energy in the energy supply of the city.

In the second session, officials from the Hong Kong SAR Government showcased how various departments involving the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Water Supplies Department, the Drainage Services Department and the Environmental Protection Department are implementing measures in reducing carbon emissions and electricity consumption such as building district cooling systems, installing solar panels on government buildings’ roofs, developing hydropower generation systems and generating energy by processing sludge, sewage and wastes.

After the luncheon meeting, different stakeholder groups from the energy industry and civil society covered four topics: “Renewable Energy Potentials in Hong Kong”, “Land Transportation Sector”, “Green Buildings & Water Technologies” and “From Civic Society: NGO and Innovative Energy Projects & Ideas”. Representatives of Hong Kong’s two power companies, Mr. Joseph Law, the CLP Power Hong Kong Limited and Mr. T. C. Yee, the Hongkong Electric Company, Limited, shed lights on renewable energy development in Hong Kong. They also highlighted constraints facing Hong Kong in developing non-fossil fuel energy sources due to small available area, modest solar and wind capacities and a high population density. Next, Ms. Janice Lao, the MTR Corporation Limited and Mr. Alok Jain, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited, talked about energy efficiency schemes of Hong Kong’s subway system and the current development and potentials of electric buses in Hong Kong respectively. Further, Professor Mohamed Ghidaoui and Prof. Kei May Lau, professors at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, presented their research findings in increasing efficiency of city water systems and the current use of LEDs as part of the solutions for climate change.

In the concluding session, Ms. Christina Tang, Founder of Blue Sky Energy, demonstrated how her social initiative uses energy related data to positively influence people’s behavior in environmental protection; Mr. John Sayer, Carbon Care Asia Limited, shared his views on challenges facing Hong Kong to cope with climate change and highlighted the global need of a shift to a zero-carbon economy.

The second part of the forum consisted of presentations and discussion of four thematic working groups. They acted as different stakeholders and critically evaluated the current local energy situation. Considering limitations of the local transportation sector, participants proposed concrete measures to improve the energy efficiency of Mass Transit Railway (MTR), one of the largest energy consumers in Hong Kong; further to make the political, social and economic environment more favorable for electric bus development. Given the limited amount of potential renewable energy capacities in Hong Kong, students saw the need to partner with mainland China such as purchasing electricity from the Pearl River Delta, investing in renewable energy sources abroad, and establishing a pilot region for REs. In response to the question of “how to use data to empower people”, installing smart meters in households was considered the best way to change consumers’ behavior.

The four teams have summarized their ideas into written reports. Here you find the reports which were submitted to the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Environment Bureau as policy proposals.

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