Record temperatures tip by weather man
Local | Carain Yeung 20 May 2016There could be more record-breaking temperatures this summer, with the weather likely to become more extreme, Hong Kong Observatory director Shun Chi-ming said.
"The whole world is still warming quite drastically. Don't be misled by the cooling seen in the past season," he told a forum organized by the Business Environment Council.
Business, government officials and environmentalists gathered at the event to discuss post-Paris Agreement measures to lower carbon emission.
Adopted by 195 countries in December, the Paris Agreement is the first legally binding global climate deal, which sets out a global action plan for climate change and limiting global warming to below two degrees Celsius.
Shun also forecast the city's temperature to climb by at least another three degrees by the end of the century, compared with pre- industrial levels.
But he said tackling climate change will depend on the government and citizens.
The Environment Bureau aims to reduce energy intensity by 40 percent by 2025.
Undersecretary for the Environment Christine Loh Kung-wai said achieving energy saving from buildings is the administration's top priority as 90 percent of electricity use happens in buildings.
She defended the timing of a move to set up an interdepartmental Steering Committee on Climate Change when the term of government ends in June next year.
"The interdepartment committee has come at a good time after China has announced the national target for 2030 and after the Paris Agreement," Loh said.
The government will hold a summit this summer to gather views on the issue, she added.
Representatives of the SAR's two power companies vowed to improve the fuel mix by using less coal in energy generation, and to develop renewable sources of energy.
"Should the community or society, as a whole, provide more financial support to renewable energy?" CLP Power Hong Kong Limited chief operating officer Chiang Tung- keung said.
"From the CLP's point of view, we are open to explore more of these opportunities."
Hong Kong Electric general manager (corporate development) Yee Tak-chow said it is difficult to say if using cleaner energy will make electricity more expensive, but the company will aim to minimize the financial impact on the public.
