Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change meeting held via video conferencing
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Tse Chin-wan, and the Director-General of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province (GDDEE), Ms Xu Xiaoxia, today (December 17) co-chaired the seventh meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change via video conferencing. The meeting reviewed their work progress in 2025 and agreed on the collaboration work plan for 2026.
Governments of both Hong Kong and Guangdong agreed that the two places have continued to maintain close co-operation on various fronts in the past year, including improvement of air quality in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, protection of the water environment, strengthening forestry and marine resources conservation, and combating climate change, as well as the development of a "Zero Waste Bay Area". The two sides will continue to promote and deepen exchanges, co-operation and scientific research relating to climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
On improving air quality, Hong Kong and Guangdong implemented the PRD Regional Air Quality Management Plan and monitored the progress and effectiveness of various improvement measures. The annual average concentrations of various air pollutants in 2024 have declined between 18 per cent and 86 per cent from their peak levels. Representatives of the Hong Kong side highlighted that promoting green transportation helps improve air quality. The number of electric private cars in Hong Kong has been growing rapidly. Currently, more than seven out of every 10 newly registered private cars are electric, with a growth rate among the top globally. The HKSAR Government will continue to actively promote the use of electric vehicles and expand the charging network in the future. In the coming years, Hong Kong and Guangdong will continue to work together on the demonstration projects of cross-boundary goods vehicles transitioning into new energy vehicles and the construction of the Greater Bay Area Air Quality Health Index.
On marine environment management, Governments of both Hong Kong and Guangdong agreed that the Notification and Alert System on Marine Refuse has been functioning well since its commencement in 2017. To further enhance the effectiveness of the system, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has used the latest wind forecast and relevant data, together with a new generation of regional hydrodynamic model, to more accurately predict areas that may potentially be affected by marine refuse. As of mid-November this year, the system has issued 65 notifications in response to heavy rainfall or major marine environmental incidents, which effectively enabled relevant government departments to take timely clean-up actions. Both sides will continue to explore technologies and measures to monitor marine refuse and tackle marine environmental incidents, as well as further extending co-operation in the management of the marine environment with cities in the region.
As regards ecological conservation, Hong Kong and Guangdong will continue to foster in-depth exchanges and enhance collaboration on the establishment, management, conservation, staff training, publicity and education, etc, in relation to forestry, ecological corridors across the boundary and wetland reserve projects, as well as to take forward the sustainable development of marine resources and the conservation of marine environment, including projects for the conservation of rare marine animals, ecological and environmental monitoring, restoration and enhancement of fisheries resources, sustainable development of mariculture, and joint enforcement operations between Hong Kong and Guangdong.
Hong Kong and Guangdong will also take forward the development of a "Zero Waste Bay Area", jointly promoting regional resources circulation in both places, exploring the feasibility of cross-regional co-operation in handling recyclable materials and co-ordinating collaborative initiatives of the two places.
Representatives of the Hong Kong side attended the meeting today were from the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Buildings Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Department of Health, the EPD, the Hong Kong Observatory, and the Water Supplies Department. Representatives of the Guangdong side were from the GDDEE, the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangdong Province, the Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province, the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Guangdong Meteorological Service, the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province, and the Shenzhen Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau.
Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change meeting held via video conferencing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change meeting held via video conferencing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
