Tag Archives: China

     The Buildings Energy Efficiency (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 (the Ordinance) and its Buildings Energy Efficiency (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 (Commencement) Notice (the Notice) will be published in the Gazette on Friday (June 20).
      
     A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau said, “The Ordinance not only improves the buildings energy efficiency management regime of Hong Kong by extending the scope of energy efficiency regulation to more types of buildings, shortening the intervals of energy audits and disclosing technical information in energy audit reports, but also helps to achieve a win-win scenario of saving electricity costs for buildings, reducing carbon emissions, and boosting the development of the green economy, thereby assisting Hong Kong to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.”
      
     The Ordinance will come into effect in two stages. The Notice will be tabled by the Government before the Legislative Council at its sitting on June 25. Upon the completion of negative vetting, the amendments for updating the qualifications eligible for registration as Registered Energy Assessors will commence first on September 20, 2025 (i.e. three months after the gazettal of the Ordinance), to enable professionals’ early registration. The remaining provisions will commence on September 20, 2026 (i.e. 15 months after the gazettal of the Ordinance), to allow adequate time for the sectors to make necessary preparations for compliance with the new regulations. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department will continue the promotion and publicity efforts to inform building owners of the latest statutory requirements in a timely manner, and provide technical support to assist them in complying with the new requirements.
      
     The spokesman added, “Upon the full implementation of the Ordinance, it is estimated that an additional 500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 150 000 three-person households, could be saved in 2035.” read more

     The Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) announced the Roadmap for ESG (environmental, social and governance) Development for Logistics Industry today (June 18) for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the logistics industry to follow for achieving compliance with international ESG requirements, with an aim to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s logistics industry and hence Hong Kong’s position as an international logistics hub.

     Green and sustainable development is one of the directions that the Government has specified for the way forward for the logistics industry in the Action Plan on Modern Logistics Development announced in October 2023. To promote the development of green and sustainable logistics, the Government has committed in the Action Plan to formulating a clear ESG roadmap for the industry to assist logistics enterprises in meeting international ESG requirements progressively. Upon conducting a consultancy study, the TLB has worked out the Roadmap by taking into account international ESG standards and current market developments while working in consultation with the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council and various organisations and players in the industry.

     The Roadmap covers a three-year period from 2025 to 2027 and adopts a three-stage approach for logistics SMEs to build up their capabilities to collect and report ESG data, thereby meeting the most stringent prevailing international ESG disclosure requirements by the time the Roadmap expires. The first stage involves raising logistics SMEs’ awareness of ESG principles and international ESG requirements, the second stage involves equipping logistics SMEs with the capability to collect and record logistics ESG data, while the third stage aims to prepare logistics SMEs for ESG reporting, which is foreseen to be a possible international requirement in the next phase of ESG development.  

     A spokesperson for the TLB said, “ESG has become an international trend, with the European Union having already made ESG disclosures along the whole supply chain compulsory for enterprises from this year onwards, and the Mainland also formulating its own ESG disclosure standards that are planned to be applicable to all companies, including SMEs, by 2030. Therefore, for Hong Kong logistics SMEs, which are well-plugged into the global supply chain, ESG adoption is no longer an option but an essential step for their survival and maintenance of their global competitiveness. We hope that the Roadmap will provide logistics SMEs with an easy-to-follow guide to embark on their ESG journey and help to enhance the competitiveness of our logistics industry, thereby consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an international logistics hub.

     “Promotion and training will be crucial for logistics SMEs to reach each of the aforesaid stages of the Roadmap. In this connection, the TLB will collaborate with and encourage industry players, trade associations, professional bodies and training institutions to provide necessary support to deliver the Roadmap,” the spokesman added.

     As the next step, the TLB will promote the adoption of the Roadmap in association with industry stakeholders, and will review and update the Roadmap in a timely manner ahead of its expiry with reference to the prevailing international ESG requirements, among others, to help logistics SMEs to continue to be ESG-compliant.

     Apart from the ESG Roadmap, the TLB also launched today a dedicated online ESG resource centre on the website of the Council, which serves as a one-stop portal for information related to ESG for reference by logistics companies in Hong Kong. In addition, to assist logistics SMEs in starting their ESG journey, the TLB will launch within this year a set of ESG data collection tools that will facilitate effective collection and recording of logistics ESG data essential for compliance with international ESG disclosure requirements by SMEs.

     The ESG roadmap has been uploaded to the TLB’s website.   read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 18) that acc… read more

     â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (June 18) that, as advised by the postal administration of Iraq, due to the events in the region, Hongkong Post has suspended all postal services to Iraq with immediate effect until further… read more

     The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York, Ms Maisie Ho, visited Boston, Massachusetts, from June 15 to 17 (Boston time) to foster closer ties with the city’s biotechnology, research, and academic sectors. During her visit, she attended the BIO International Convention (BIO 2025), one of the world’s leading global biotechnology event.
      
     At the June 15 (Boston time) welcome dinner for the Hong Kong delegation at BIO 2025, Ms Ho highlighted Hong Kong’s status as a global hub for biotech innovation and fundraising. She also noted Hong Kong’s strong presence at BIO 2025, showcasing the depth and diversity of the city’s biotechnology sector, including pharmaceuticals, immunotherapies, gene editing, diagnostics and stem cell technologies.
      
     The Hong Kong delegation included representatives from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and its delegation of 16 leading biotech portfolio companies, the medical faculties of the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, as well as representatives from the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. At the Hong Kong Pavilion, they showcased the city’s life and health sciences capabilities, aiming to attract global enterprises, talent, and investment, and reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as a global biotech hub.
      
     At the “Hong Kong x Boston Biotech Disrupt Night” on June 16 (Boston time) hosted by Invest Hong Kong, Ms Ho spoke on Hong Kong’s strategic advantages in biotechnology, citing world-class infrastructure, strong intellectual property protection, top-tier universities, and a vibrant start-up ecosystem. She also emphasised government support, funding and initiatives such as InnoLife Healthtech Hub and the New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme. The event, attended by over 140 biotech industry representatives and investors, also featured a panel discussion featuring Hong Kong and Boston’s biotech leaders where they had an insightful exchange on the potential of Boston biotech companies in leveraging Hong Kong for their Asian market expansion.
      
     “Hong Kong offers a nurturing environment for life sciences—combining policy support, research excellence, and regulatory certainty. As the world’s second-largest fundraising hub for biotech IPOs, we also offer deep access to capital and a highly international talent pool. With our world-class infrastructure, common law system, robust IP protections, and proximity to Mainland China and Asia, we serve as a gateway and global launchpad for biotech companies aiming to scale and internationalise”, she said.
      
     While in Boston, Ms Ho also met with representatives of the academia to explore areas of mutual interests and promoted Hong Kong’s various talent admission schemes and the city’s commitment to become an international education and research hub. Her meetings included discussions with Visiting Fellow of Practice at Harvard University’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies Mr Mitchell Presnick; and representatives from the University of Massachusetts Boston, including the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Mr Joseph B. Berger; the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Ms Karen Ferrer-Muñiz; and the Vice Provost of Research and Strategic Initiatives, Mr Bala Sundaram. She also attended a reception hosted by the Mayor of Boston Ms Michelle Wu for key international biotech leaders and stakeholders.