24 November 2006
PRESS RELEASE Climate Change in PRD will Have Global Economic Impacts Hong Kong Urged to Take Lead On Climate Change Response International Legislators to Consider Findings of Local Climate Change Report For Immediate Release Hong Kong, 24 November 2006 – Members of the British and European Parliaments today welcomed the publication of the first report to consider the economic impacts of climate change on the Greater Pearl River Delta. The report, The Impacts of Climate Change on Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta, was released yesterday by local think-tank Civic Exchange. “This report echoes the recent report by former World Bank Chief Economist Sir Nicholas Stern, which points to the economic effects of climate change on world GDP,” said UK MP Elliot Morley, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative to the Gleneagles Dialogue & President of GLOBE International & Chair of the G8+5 Climate Change Dialogue. “The effects of climate change in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta will not only impact those who live and work there, but will have profound economic impacts globally.” Former Secretary General of the United Nations and European Parliament Rapporteur for a Post Kyoto Agreement, Anders Wijkman MEP, urged Hong Kong businesses and government to take action: “The report from Civic Exchange is a serious, timely and extremely important study that should be on the desks of all within Hong Kong’s business community. To address climate change effectively requires swift action all over the world – both to curb emissions and to increase the resilience of society to the inevitable consequences of climate change. The engagement of the business community in this process is welcomed” said Mr. Morley, who plans to hold discussions in Hong Kong with business representatives early next year at the invitation of Civic Exchange. To date, Hong Kong has lagged behind the central government in research and planning on climate change issues. “I know these issues are taken seriously in China following meetings I recently held with the National People’s Congress,” said Mr. Morley. “However, this report is an invaluable addition to Hong Kong’s understanding of climate change.” According to Mr. Wijkman, “having access to both the intellectual as well as financial resources needed, Hong Kong ought to be in a good position to take a lead on both mitigation and adaptation”. Mr. Morley added that the report will also be considered by the current GLOBE international dialogue on climate change, which he is overseeing for the Prime Minister with senior legislators from the G8+5 group of countries. - End Release A full copy of the bilingual report is available for download on the Civic Exchange website: http://www.civic-exchange.org/publications/2006/cc.pdf Visit us at: www.civic-exchange.org 思匯政策研究所 香港中環雲咸街 69 號賀善尼大廈 7 樓 701 室 ROOM 701 HOSEINEE HOUSE, 69 WYNDHAM STREET CENTRAL, HONG KONG TEL: (852) 2893-0213 FAX: (852) 3105 9713
24 November 2006
For enquiries, please contact: Ms Christine Loh cloh@civic-exchange.org 2893 0213 or 9802 8888 Ms Michele Weldon mweldon@civic-excahnge.org 2893 0213 or 6271 4147 Civic Exchange is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Hong Kong that helps to improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. For more information about Civic Exchange, please visit www.civic-exchange.org ___________________________________________________________ Notes for Editors 1. The Gleneagles Dialogue is an informal forum for discussion with the objective of complementing and reinforcing formal negotiations within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Dialogue will report back to G8 Heads of Government during Japan's G8 Presidency in 2008. 2. The Gleneagles Dialogue includes 20 countries (G8+5 together with Indonesia, Australia, Spain, Poland, Nigeria, South Korea), the European Commission and key international organisations including the World Bank and the International Energy Agency. The UNFCCC Secretariat participates. 3. The GLOBE international dialogue on climate change is a parallel Dialogue for legislators, business leaders and key civil society representatives to shadow the G8 Gleneagles Dialogue. provides a mechanism for serious political contributions to be developed and presented to the G8 in the run up to the Japanese Presidency in 2008.
Visit us at: www.civic-exchange.org 思匯政策研究所 香港中環雲咸街 69 號賀善尼大廈 7 樓 701 室 ROOM 701 HOSEINEE HOUSE, 69 WYNDHAM STREET CENTRAL, HONG KONG TEL: (852) 2893-0213 FAX: (852) 3105 9713