Hong Kong, Asia’s sustainable giant, to overcome skills gap and related challenges

At the conclusion of the first day of Hong Kong’s Green Week, the critical challenges tailgating the city’s mission to become an International green tech and green finance centre were evident. 

Several of these issues were brought to the fore during the transport and logistics panel. They included the need for policy support to fast-track the green initiative. However, the problem of supply chain integration and collaboration, mentioned by Tony Lee, director of the city’s rail operator, was the day’s highlight. According to Lee, partnerships are pivotal to finding solutions that provide value.

Head of sustainability at New World Development Company Limited, Michael Long, also emphasised the need for those in the implementation and retail spaces in the construction industry to keep abreast of advancements made in green technologies.At the same time, Richard Hill, managing director of Citybus, pinpointed the gap in the delivery of sustainable solutions in transport. 

The panels also previewed several possible solutions, including the leveraging of Hong Kong’s talent pool, which, according to Song Kai, chief digital officer of China Merchant Energy Shipping, has traditionally been instrumental in connecting China to the rest of the world. Other initiatives tabled included promoting public-private partnerships and decarbonising electricity.

Why does it matter?

The discussions are the first steps to solution-building and achieving the city’s goal, ‘to build Hong Kong as an International centre for both green technology and finance’. Bridging the gaps highlighted during the panel discussions is more than just a lofty goal. China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, accounts for one-third of global emissions, and as such, to fulfil its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060, Beijing must commit to finding innovative green solutions.