On July 8, in a written reply to legislators' questions at the Legislative Council, Hong Kong's Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-wan, stated that to align with the national "dual carbon" goals, the Hong Kong government aims to halve the city's carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition to formulating territory-wide policies, the government has adopted a "whole-of-government" strategic approach in managing departmental operations, promoting various measures to diligently advance carbon reduction efforts.

Tse Chin-wan highlighted that significant progress has been made in implementing renewable energy over the past five years (2021-2025). Since the 2017-18 financial year, HK$3 billion has been reserved for installing small-scale renewable energy systems in government premises. By the end of 2025, over HK$2.4 billion had been approved for approximately 280 projects. These include installing solar power systems at government complexes, recreational facilities, reservoirs, and pedestrian walkways, as well as waste-to-energy and hydroelectric power facilities at sewage treatment plants. More than 170 of these projects were completed in the past five years. When all approved projects are fully operational, they are expected to generate over 27 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Furthermore, the first phase of the Integrated Waste Management Facilities (I·PARK1) commenced trial operation in December 2025 and is projected to produce about 480 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year at full capacity. The second phase (I·PARK2), currently in preparation, is expected to feed up to 960 million kilowatt-hours of surplus electricity into the grid annually.

Regarding carbon emissions management, Tse noted that the government issued a circular on "Carbon Management for Government Buildings" in 2017, requiring all major government buildings to conduct regular carbon audits and disclose results to the public through annual environmental reports. Given the differing operational natures and conditions across bureaus and departments, establishing a single carbon reduction plan and target applicable to all is challenging. The government also actively encourages public bodies to set emission reduction targets. The Hospital Authority has adopted carbon neutrality as an environmental policy goal, implementing a series of energy-saving measures such as replacing high-efficiency air-conditioning units and establishing an energy management database system. The Airport Authority Hong Kong has also formulated a carbon management strategy with reduction targets and updated its carbon audit system in 2024 to enhance emissions management.

On building energy efficiency, Tse pointed out that under the Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance, government buildings and those of public bodies like hospitals and railway stations must comply with statutory energy efficiency standards. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department reviews and updates relevant codes of practice with the industry every three years. The government amended the ordinance last year, requiring such buildings to conduct energy audits every five years according to the Code of Practice for Building Energy Audit and to publicly release related technical data upon completion, encouraging the industry to proactively offer energy-saving solutions. Once the amendments fully take effect in September this year, they are estimated to save an additional 500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually by 2035.

Tse Chin-wan emphasized the government's ongoing commitment to promoting a green, low-carbon transition and actively exploring hydrogen energy's potential across various sectors. For construction site power supply systems, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department issued the Code of Practice for Fixed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Generation Systems in December 2025, providing clear technical specifications for safe system configuration and operation. The Inter-departmental Working Group on Hydrogen Energy, at its meeting in February 2026, formulated optimization measures. For projects with maturing technology and lower risks, applicants can be exempted from conducting quantitative risk assessments or submitting specific technical data, significantly streamlining the approval process. In June 2026, the EMSD compiled and uploaded a Brief on Site Application of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Generation Systems to the working group's webpage, successfully facilitating the inclusion of related manufacturers' products on the pre-approved list of the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund. Several hydrogen power projects have already been successfully implemented in Hong Kong, including projects powering construction sites in Lok Ma Chau and Sheung Shui, electric vehicle charging projects in Sai Kung and North Point, and a project supplying power to temporary facilities for the golf event of the 15th National Games. The Construction Industry Council will also install a hydrogen generator at its Zero Carbon Building in Kowloon Bay to provide on-site demonstrations of the technology to the industry.

Regarding hydrogen vehicle applications, Tse stated that the government is currently focused on promoting electric vehicles, where technology and supporting infrastructure are more mature, while also supporting trials of hydrogen vehicles. Currently, three hydrogen fuel cell street washing vehicles from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in the government fleet are undergoing operational trials. The government will collect and analyze trial data to further assess future rollout plans. The Marine Department has also launched its first pilot project for methanol-powered vessels for the government fleet and will construct two such vessels, expected to enter service in 2029.

Tse noted that in promoting trials of hydrogen fuel cell heavy vehicles, the government launched a funding scheme under the New Energy Transport Fund in December 2024, reserving HK$100 million in its first phase to subsidize the purchase of such vehicles, the setup of hydrogen refueling facilities, and hydrogen fuel costs during trials. As of June 2026, the Fund Secretariat has received two formal applications, involving trials of hydrogen fuel cell coaches for cross-boundary and local passenger transport. The government plans to consult stakeholders in the third quarter of this year to optimize the funding scope and submit proposals to the Fund Steering Committee for consideration in the fourth quarter.

Tse indicated that the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau is leading the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, the San Tin Technopole, and the Sha Ling Data Park site within the Northern Metropolis. This provides quality land options for strategic innovation and technology enterprises in areas like new materials, new energy, and green technology, establishing R&D and design centers, pilot production and conversion bases, and mass production facilities. This offers strong support for accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and achieving new industrialization in Hong Kong. The government has also introduced multiple measures to encourage the private sector to develop renewable energy. These include facilitating measures launched in April 2022 to assist the private sector in installing solar power systems in outdoor car parks, and allowing the installation of solar power systems primarily for agricultural use on agricultural land without requiring planning permission from the Town Planning Board.

On green procurement, Tse pointed out that the government uses an Environmental Protection Procurement List to specify environmental requirements for products and services, ensuring priority is given to energy-saving, low-carbon options during procurement. The government currently mandates that all newly purchased private cars must be electric vehicles and procures products like LED lights, Grade 1 energy label air conditioners, and photovoltaic panels to enhance energy efficiency. The government will review the Environmental Protection Procurement List in a timely manner to keep pace with the latest market developments and procurement needs, creating stable demand for local green energy products and helping drive the development of related industries.