Interview June 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Changing culture
l Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment, talked about climate change and the government’s target for carbon neutrality. l He says that those concerned about pollution should respond in daily life by modifying their own behaviour, including reducing waste. l He also says that those passionate about the environment should stay well-informed and seek careers that can help push forward transformation to a lower-carbon world. l 為應對氣候變化，環境局局長黃錦星表示政府正爭取實現「碳中和」。 l 他認為關注污染問題的青年應身體力行，實踐節能減廢的生活模式。 l 有志之士不但要緊貼環保資訊，更可考慮投身相關產業，進一步推動本港 及世界朝綠色低碳願景邁進。
What do you think is the biggest threat today to Hong Kong’s environmental sustainability? It is climate change. It not only affects us all today but will seriously affect future generations. The waste problem is another big problem for Hong Kong, the high per capita level of waste generation and the common use of disposable plastics especially. Do young people have a special contribution to make when caring for the environment? Yes, they have passion and creativity, but they also need to be better prepared. Creativity can help solve environmental problems. It will bring solutions. Then there is the need to take action. Some young people I have met in recent years are wellprepared. They are aware of what we need to do next, but some of them don’t even understand the facts and the latest environmental policies. What action can youth take? First, they should go for a low carbon lifestyle. We have a Low Carbon Living Calculator1 to help people assess the carbon emissions associated with their daily lives. Second, they can make good career choices, e.g. joining the environment and technology sectors to push forward the low-carbon transformation. With a combination of creativity 6
and careers, youth can help to change our culture and build a sense of consumer responsibility in the community. Can you already see efforts being made by Hong Kong youth to make their city’s environment more sustainable? Yes, there are various groups formed by young people such as Earthero Project, Ecobus, HIKE EXIT and V'air Hong Kong. I met some of them who promote low-carbon local tours, coastal and countryside cleanup, and environmental advocacy and education. For instance, I did country park and beach cleanups with them and we chatted during the process and while hiking. Also, there are startups whose businesses focus on environmental solutions. One example, which concerns energy saving is BlueSky Energy Technology.2 BlueSky is keen to incentivize people to improve building energy performance through the Internet of Things (IoT) and data. How do you keep in touch with young people? We care about voices from different people and young people’s voices are surely treasured. We share with them what we are doing and listen to what they say. Communication among different stakeholders is important. I am keen to communicate directly, especially with relevant
