Hong Kong Environmental Database Wins Awards for Smart Environment Innovation at HSODC 2025.

2025-08-28 21:35 Last Updated At：21:48

Hong Kong Environmental Database earns another recognition

The Hong Kong Environmental Database (HKED) (hked.epd.gov.hk), developed by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has once again been honored with awards, winning the "Best Smart Environment Award" and the "Grand Award" at the Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge (HSODC) 2025 yesterday (August 27), reaffirming the remarkable progress made by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in applying innovative technologies to optimise the environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes.

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Hong Kong Environmental Database earns another recognition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Hong Kong Environmental Database earns another recognition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

HSOSC 2025, jointly steered by the HKSAR Government's Digital Policy Office (DPO) and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data, adopted the theme "Co-creating a Data Industry Platform for the Two Cities". It encouraged participants to leverage open data resources from both Hong Kong and Shanghai to develop innovative solutions in four key areas: Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, and Smart Economy, thereby fostering deeper integration and synergy in the digital economies of the two cities. Following the first round of judging, 13 teams from Hong Kong advanced to the final judging held in Shanghai on August 26. They competed with local teams for the top-four finalists and the Grand Award.

Conducting his visit to Hangzhou and Shanghai from August 24 to 28, the Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui, led representatives from the EPD to attend the award ceremony held in Shanghai yesterday to receive the awards.

The HKSAR Government has taken a number of measures to optimise the EIA process, including the establishment of the HKED in 2022. The EPD has consolidated around 300 EIA reports handled since 1998. Through meticulous verification, data organisation, and format conversion, more than 200 high-value environmental data layers have been created, providing a robust foundation for local EIA studies. The HKED has also been benefitted from the HKSAR Government's Common Spatial Data Infrastructure portal, which allows the integration of over 20 environment-related core decision-making layers. Supported by smart assessment tools, the HKED enables more efficient data analysis and audit, thereby enhancing the accuracy and credibility of EIA reports.

Since its launch, the HKED has won several awards. Following the Best Environmental Innovation Award received at the Southeast Asia Forum International Conference last December, the HKED was also honoured with theInternational Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) 2025 "Corporate Initiative Award" in March this year.

On his visit to Hangzhou and Shanghai, Dr Chui inspected the Artificial Intelligence ecological monitoring program in the Xixi National Wetland Park and visited the talent training base at the Huawei Global Training Center during the first stop in Hangzhou.

On August 25, Dr Chui proceeded to visit Shanghai, where he held discussions with the Level I Bureau Rank Official of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, Mr Bai Guoqiang, on co-operation between Hong Kong and Shanghai in environmental protection. Dr Chui also exchanged views on technical solutions for sewage and waste treatment with the Director of Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute, Mr Zheng Zhimin, and visited the Laogang Ecological and Environmental Protection Base. In addition, Dr Chui met and exchanged views with the Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai, Mrs Laura Aron.

CFS Warns of Bacillus cereus Contamination in Bottled Preserved Bean Curd, Urges Public to Avoid Affected Batch.

CFS finds excessive Bacillus cereus in sample of preserved bean curd

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (October 12) announced that a sample of bottled preserved bean curd was found to contain an excessive amount of Bacillus cereus.

Details of the batch of the product are as follows:

Product name: — (No product name in English)

Net weight: 340.5 grams

Sales period of the affected batch: September 24 to October 9, 2026

Place of origin: China

A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a retailer in Shum Shui Po for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained Bacillus cereus at a level of 140 000 per gram. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, if ready-to-eat food contains Bacillus cereus at a level of more than 100 000 per gram, it is considered unsatisfactory. Members of the public should stop consume the affected batch of product."

The spokesman said that the CFS has informed the retailer concerned of the issue, and instructed it to stop sale, remove from shelves and recall the affected batch of the product.

A preliminary investigation by the CFS has found that the affected batch of the product comprises only 48 bottles, 26 of which were sold at the retailer between September 24 and October 9. The retailer has voluntarily surrendered the remaining products from the same batch to the CFS for disposal. Members of the public may call its hotline at 4621 7383 for enquiries regarding the recall of the batch of the product concerned.

"Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea," the spokesman said.

The CFS will continue to follow up the incident and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing.

Hong Kong Environmental Database Wins Awards for Smart Environment Innovation at HSODC 2025.

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