LegCo Secretariat releases Policy Pulse on "Strategies and edges of Hong Kong in hydrogen development"
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat today (July 15) released the latest issue of the Policy Pulse on "Strategies and edges of Hong Kong in hydrogen development". This issue provides a brief overview of hydrogenenergy development strategies in Hong Kong, the edges of promoting the hydrogenenergy industry, the latest progress of improving relevant legislation by the Government, as well as relevant discussions of LegCo along with suggestions by Members.
LegCo will resume the Second Reading debate on the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2025 tomorrow (July 16). The Bill seeks to regulate the use of hydrogen as fuel to ensure the safe application of hydrogen fuel. It also empowers the Government to introduce new subsidiary legislation to ensure the flexibility of updating the regulatory requirements. The Government intends to introduce subsidiary legislation in 2026 to cover the entire supply chain of hydrogen as fuel.
The Policy Pulse highlights that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government actively promotes the development of hydrogen energy, and promulgated the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong last year. Setting out four major strategies of improving legislation, establishing standards, aligning with the market and advancing with prudence, the Strategy aims to create an environment conducive to the development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong in an orderly manner, so as to make preparations for the wider application of hydrogen energy in the future.
With a "zero carbon emissions" feature, hydrogen is a new energy with significant decarbonisation potential. Our country is the largest hydrogen producer in the world, and strives to achieve the "dual carbon" goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060. The SAR Government also targets to cut carbon emissions by half from the 2005 level before 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2050. The Policy Pulse points out that, with its unique advantage of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, as well as the strengths in scientific research, robust legislation and energy infrastructure, Hong Kong has very great potential to become a demonstration base for the development of hydrogen energy in the country, and facilitate the development of the hydrogenenergy industry in the Belt and Road region and other overseas places. In addition, as an international financial centre, Hong Kong can help enterprises with their green transformation by providing green financing and professional services.
The Policy Pulse also introduces a number of measures by the SAR Government to support research and innovation in the hydrogen energy technology. These include setting up the Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel to co-ordinate the efforts in promoting the local use of hydrogen energy and initiate relevant trial projects. Meanwhile, the Government has launched several funding schemes that cover the research and development of hydrogen energy technology, and actively promotes talent training, technological exchange and application in relevant scientific and technological fields, so as to cultivate professionals with the specialised knowledge and skills to ensure the safe application of hydrogen energy technology.
LegCo Members have long attached great importance to the development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong. In March 2023, LegCo passed a motion advocating the SAR Government to comprehensively promote the development of hydrogenenergy industry in Hong Kong. The LegCo Panel on Environmental Affairs also visited hydrogen projects during its duty visit to Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Greater Bay Area) in August of the same year, and has been following up on issues related to hydrogen energy. The Policy Pulse summarises various recommendations made by Members on hydrogen energy development. These include capitalising on the strengths of Hong Kong's financial services industry to attract capital investment in the city's hydrogenenergy industry and reserve land for development. Furthermore, the Government should take the lead in developing green industries and make use of new development areas as a springboard to bring in quality hydrogenenergy industries; formulate relevant policies on hydrogen energy pricing to stimulate demand for hydrogen energy; promote carbon index certification to include hydrogen energy into Hong Kong's carbon emissions trading market; and actively research and develop local hydrogen production technology, among others.
The Policy Pulse points out that hydrogen energy is an integral component of the country's future energy system. Members urge the Government to collaborate with other cities in the Greater Bay Area on the joint research, development and promotion of hydrogen energy development projects to facilitate exchanges and co-operation between the two places across the hydrogen energy industrial chain, with a view to promoting the alignment of the safety monitoring and quality testing standards between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Members also advise the Government to speed up the development of a set of internationally recognised hydrogen energy certification standards, so as to assist the Greater Bay Area and even the entire hydrogen industry in the country to enter the international market.
The detailed content of "Strategies and edges of Hong Kong in hydrogen development" is available on the LegCo Website. The Policy Pulse, published by the Council Business Divisions of the LegCo Secretariat, covers specific topics and offers a comprehensive overview of related policy developments and summarised discussions in LegCo.
Source: AI-found images
HKSAR Government expresses dissatisfaction with and opposition to unfounded comments by individual so-called human rights experts on Lai Chee-ying case
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (December 24) expressed dissatisfaction with and opposition to the unfounded comments by individual so-called human rights experts after the court of the HKSAR convicted Lai Chee-ying of offences of endangering national security in strict accordance with the law and evidence.
A spokesperson for the HKSAR Government pointed out, "The HKSAR Government noted that individual so-called human rights experts have entirely no respect for the HKSAR court's independent judgment of the case, which had been made on the basis of facts and evidence. They also refused to acknowledge the evidence set out in the reasons for verdict, and refused to understand the court's considerations and the reasons for verdict. Instead, they wantonly launched attacks, slandered and attacked the HKSAR Government, with despicable political manipulations to demand the immediate release of Lai Chee-ying, overriding the rule of law with politics and confounding right and wrong. Their despicable intent to interfere with the court's sentencing has been seen through by all. The HKSAR Government has to refute resolutely to set the record straight."
Court's conviction verdict was entirely free from any political considerations
"The court's reasons for verdict in this case are 855 pages long, which are fully open for public inspection, and include the court's analysis of the relevant legal principles and evidence, as well as the reasons for convicting Lai Chee-ying and the three defendant companies in full detail. The court clearly pointed out in the reasons for verdict that Lai Chee-ying was not on trial for his political views or beliefs. The court's conviction verdict is well-founded and reasoned, fully demonstrating that the court has made its decision on the case strictly in accordance with the law and evidence, free from any interference, and absolutely free of any political considerations."
The spokesperson stressed, "Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed and lawbreakers be held accountable. Article 5 of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and section 2 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) clearly stipulate that the principle of the rule of law shall be adhered to in preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for offences endangering national security. Any suggestion that certain individuals or organisations should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts is no different from advocating a special privilege to break the law, and this totally runs contrary to the spirit of the rule of law."
The Lai Chee-ying case has nothing to do with freedom of speech and of the press at all
The spokesman pointed out, "These so-called human rights experts have conflated the criminal acts in this case with freedom of speech and of the press, with the purpose of misleading the public and defaming the HKSAR. In fact, the Lai Chee-ying case has nothing to do with freedom of speech and of the press at all. Over the years, the defendants were using journalism as a guise to commit acts that brought harm to our country and Hong Kong.
"The public trial of this case revealed Lai Chee-ying's close management and hands-on control of the editorial direction of Apple Daily. Lai Chee-ying had repeatedly and personally colluded with foreign forces, begging for sanctions and hostile actions against the Central Authorities and the HKSAR Government. The court clearly pointed out that Lai Chee-ying's only intent, whether pre or post HKNSL, was to seek the downfall of the Communist Party of China, even though the ultimate cost was the sacrifice of the interests of the people of the People's Republic of China and the HKSAR.
"Anyone who vilify the rule of law and human rights situation in the HKSAR using this case is fact-twisting and has no integrity at all. We have to emphasise that the HKNSL and the SNSO clearly stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security. The rights and freedoms, including the freedoms of the press, of speech and of publication, enjoyed by Hong Kong people under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to the HKSAR, are protected in accordance with the law. However, like all other places in the world, journalists, like everyone else, have an obligation to abide by all the laws. According to the principles established by Article 19 of the ICCPR, the European Convention on Human Rights and relevant jurisprudence, when the media and journalists publish opinions, information and articles, they must observe and discharge 'special duties and responsibilities', including the protection of national security and public order; journalists must, in accordance with the tenets of 'responsible journalism', act in good faith on an accurate factual basis and provide reliable and precise information, so as to be entitled to the protection of freedom of speech and press freedom."
The spokesman reiterated, "The HKSAR Government will continue to resolutely, fully and faithfully implement the HKNSL, the SNSO and other relevant laws safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, to effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law, whilst upholding the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents in accordance with the law, so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of the principle of 'one country, two systems'. The HKSAR Government urges the relevant so-called human rights experts to understand the facts clearly and stop making any unfounded criticisms."
Source: AI-found images
