June 10, 2009
PRESS STATEMENT
‘Action 450K’
Pioneering Initiative by
First Local Carbon Offset Company
Hong Kong’s development in low carbon economy entered a new phase today as the first local carbon offset retailer was formally launched to provide a market solution to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Dozens of business, community and opinion leaders were present at the launch reception today, with former Head of Hong Kong Observatory, Lam Chiu Ying, and winner of National Character Environmental Achievement Award, Stephen Chan, offering encouraging remarks as officiating guests.
In celebrating the launch of Carbon Care Asia (CCA), its Chairman Chong Chan Yau, also a veteran advocate on sustainability issues, remarked, “CCA was set up with a clear mission – to enable Hong Kong companies and community members to walk the talk on planet care by managing and offsetting their carbon emissions. We believe that it is high time for Hong Kong to catch up with what other world-class cities have done – to develop a voluntary carbon market by generating local demands from the corporate sector and from the general public.”
Over the past six months, CCA has embarked on a number of new initiatives, including its flagship programme on Carbon Leadership for leading companies and institutions, and a series of pioneering events, such as a Carbon Care wedding, a low-carbon Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum, and a carbon-neutral 35th anniversary for the United Christian Hospital on World Environment Day last week.
CCA Executive Director, Dr Trini Leung, announced a new initiative entitled ‘Action 450K‘ at the launch, “Hong Kong’s annual carbon emission is about 45 million tonnes and it needs to deliver measurable and visible reduction targets. Action 450K is a programme to enable companies, institutions and individuals to reduce and/or offset 450,000 tonnes, representing 1% of our emission. With the public’s heightened awareness on the adverse impact of climate change, we believe that this is not only a desirable, but an essential target for Hong Kong to shoulder its fair share of global responsibilities.”
The first clean energy project sourced by CCA for local carbon offset is a wind farm located at Baicheng, Jilin Province in northeast China, which involves the installation of 40 wind turbines with a total capacity of 30MW.
“By purchasing voluntary carbon credits, Hong Kong individuals and companies can help inject funds into renewable energy projects as a means to balancing out their own carbon footprints. The projects selected by CCA will not only reduce carbon emissions, but will also bring about high sustainability benefits for the local communities,” according to Ir. Albert Lai Kwong Tak, a CCA Advisor and a veteran environmentalist.
