International Conference on Smart and Green Transport Infrastructure Opens in Hong Kong

2025-06-12 21:29 Last Updated At：22:18

International Conference on Roads and Railways 2025 opens today

The International Conference on Roads and Railways 2025 co-organised by the Highways Department and the Hong Kong Institution of Highways and Transportation opened today (June 12). Themed on "Building Smart and Green Transport Infrastructure", the conference takes place on two consecutive days at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with over 30 Mainland, overseas and local experts in road and railway development and industry leaders leading nearly 700 participants to jointly explore the latest worldwide practices and technological advancements of smart and green transport infrastructure, as well as the development direction of future major transport infrastructure in Hong Kong through thematic speeches and panel discussions. Representatives from various consulates, industry leaders, scholars and government officials also attended the conference this morning.

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International Conference on Roads and Railways 2025 opens today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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International Conference on Roads and Railways 2025 opens today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, officiated at the ceremony and said that roads and railways have long been the backbone of economic growth and social advancement. In the era of rapid technological advancement and growing climate urgency, the infrastructure has to be built smarter and greener, and the key strategy amidst is the planning approach of transit-oriented development which integrates high-density urban development with efficient public transport systems. Mr Chan also said that Hong Kong is happy to share the experiences on professional knowledge and expertise in transport infrastructure with the world. Taking the Northern Metropolis as an example, he mentioned that the development of this future major innovation and technology hub of Hong Kong with a projected population of 2.5 million and over 650 000 new jobs will be "infrastructure-led" and "capacity-creating". He indicated that Hong Kong is committed to making the transport systems smarter and greener, and the Government also invests heavily in technology areas, including AI and robotics, new energy and new materials, and more; they will contribute to enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the transportation system. He also pointed out that Hong Kong is Asia's leading green bond market, accounting for nearly half of the region's total issuance. The city is also pioneering innovative financing models to unlock capital for global infrastructure development.

The President of the Hong Kong Institution of Highways and Transportation, Mr Alfred Leung, welcomed industry practitioners and scholars for attending the conference and hoped to explore the potential of integrating technology and sustainable development solutions into road and railway projects, and to enhance connectivity and collaborations around the world through communication.

The first day of the conference mainly focused on discussing Planning and Policy for Smart and Green Transport Infrastructure and Smart Technologies for Sustainable Road and Railway Systems. In her keynote speech, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, said that the vision of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is to be committed to establishing a diverse and highly efficient public transport and road system, and promoting cross-boundary integration with the Greater Bay Area through the planning principles of "infrastructure-led" and "capacity-building". She emphasised that the Government adopts a "policy innovation" and "technological innovation" dual-innovation mindset and approach in actively reviewing the regulatory frameworks, administrative procedures, design standards, guidelines, etc to enhance the efficiency and quality of transport infrastructure, and applying advanced technologies to reshape road and railway development, thereby enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of transport infrastructure development, with a view to realising the vision of building a livable, competitive and sustainable Hong Kong.

In addition, the Director of Highways, Mr Tony Yau, also elaborated on how Hong Kong adopts the strategies of forward planning, policy innovation, new transport model and technological innovation in responding to challenges in project implementation under the unique environment of Hong Kong, while achieving the goal of compressing construction time and reducing construction costs. Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr Darryl Chan, gave a detailed overview of the relationship between debt capital markets and infrastructure investment. The Chairperson of the Building Technology Research Institute, Mr Hon Chi-keung, shared experience on effectively advancing transport infrastructure through innovations. Other speakers from around the world also gave speeches on the latest developments in smart and green technologies, as well as their applications in maintenance and monitoring of bridges and other important transport infrastructure facilities.

During the conference, Ms Chan, accompanied by Mr Yau and Mr Leung, had an interaction session with young engineers to understand the visions and expectations of the new blood in the industry regarding infrastructure development in Hong Kong, and share with them experiences on formulation of related policies. She also visited booths of the industry at the venue to understand the application of the latest technologies in construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure, and was glad to learn that local traditional contractors are actively applying innovative technologies to enhance the quality and efficiency of relevant work.

The conference tomorrow (June 13) will focus on two main themes of Smart and Green Transport Infrastructure - Planning, Design and Construction and Green Solutions for Smart Transport Infrastructure. Vice President of the Research Institute of Highway of the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China, Mr Wang Shuiyin, will deliver an opening speech.

Furthermore, visits to the works sites of the Central Kowloon Route and the MTR Tung Chung Line Extension will respectively be arranged for the participants on June 14 to understand the unique challenges and solutions on planning and construction of major roads and railway systems, as well as the way to connect with the community, care for community needs and conserve traditional culture during construction.

For conference details, please visit the designated website:icrr2025.com/en/index.html.

December 2025: Unusually Warm and Dry Weather Records Set in Hong Kong

An unseasonably mild December

With the northeast monsoon over southern China generally weaker than normal for most of the time in the month, December 2025 was much warmer than usual in Hong Kong. The monthly mean maximum temperature of 22.4 degrees, monthly mean temperature of 20.2 degrees and monthly mean minimum temperature of 18.4 degrees were 2.0 degrees, 2.0 degrees and 2.2 degrees above their corresponding normals, and all of them were the second highest on record for December. This was also the first time that no Cold Weather Warning was in force in November and December in a year since the Cold Weather Warning System commenced operation in 1999. The month was also drier than usual with a total rainfall of 6.5 millimetres, only about 23 per cent of the normal of 28.8 millimetres. The annual total rainfall of 2 558.7 millimetres was about 5 per cent above the annual normal of 2 431.2 millimetres.

With a band of clouds covering the coast of Guangdong, the weather of Hong Kong was mainly cloudy with one or two rain patches on the first four days of the month. Under the influence of a dry northeast monsoon, the weather turned generally fine and dry on December 5 and remained so on the following four days. With the return of a cloud band, it turned mainly cloudy with one or two rain patches on December 10 and the next morning. It turned generally fine during the day on December 11 as the clouds thinned out. With plenty of sunshine, the maximum temperature at the Observatory rose to 26.0 degrees that afternoon, the highest of the month. A fresh to strong easterly airstream affected the coast of Guangdong the next day. Locally, the weather remained mainly fine and dry.

A cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong on the late afternoon of December 13. Under the influence of its associated strong northeast monsoon, winds strengthened from the north and temperatures fell progressively. It was rather cool on the mornings of the next two days. Additionally, while one or two rain patches occurred on December 13 under the influence of a broad band of clouds, the weather turned generally fine on the night of December 14 under the influence of a dry northeast monsoon and remained so on the next three days. It was also very dry on December 14 and 15, with the relative humidity over most parts of the territory staying around 30 to 40 per cent during the day. With the return of a broad band of clouds, the weather became cloudier with one or two rain patches later on December 18 and the next day. As the cloud band thinned out, the weather turned generally fine and dry during the day on December 20.

Under the influence of a fresh to strong northeast monsoon, it was windier on the following two days. While it was fine and dry on December 21, the weather turned mainly cloudy on December 22 due to the approach of a cloud band and remained so on the following four days. While there were one or two rain patches on the morning of December 25, with a replenishment of the northeast monsoon reaching the coast of Guangdong that morning, the local weather became dry and cool that day. It remained dry with rather cool mornings on the following two days, with the temperature at the Observatory falling to a minimum of 13.8 degrees on the morning of December 27, the lowest of the month. Under the influence of the dry northeast monsoon, the local weather turned mainly fine from December 27 to 29. With the moderation of the northeast monsoon, winds subsided on December 30, with visibility falling below 5 000 metres over parts of the territory that morning. An easterly airstream brought cloudier weather on the last day of the month.

Three tropical cyclones occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in December 2025.

Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for December are tabulated in Table 2.

International Conference on Smart and Green Transport Infrastructure Opens in Hong Kong

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