THE YOUNG REPORTER
Volume 61 February 2024
SUSTAINABILITY
GETTING TO KNOW HONG KONG THROUGH SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM
Small companies find ESG compliance easier said than done Labour importation threatens local job security
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Hong Kong is vibrant, filled with nature seldom experienced elsewhere. Among the expected urban menagerie of cats, dogs, and large cockroaches, there are rumors of also finds snakes, sharks and even bovine wanderers, all within an hour's drive. It is perhaps this abundance that has inspired our current theme: sustainability.
In this edition, we transcend mere appreciation of diversity to champion its preservation. Whether through the introduction of sustainable-fuel buses, eco-tours showing off Hong Kong's natural tableau, or explorations into the dense smog of Jakarta, our goal stays the same — to ensure our world retains the beauty we love today.
'Sustainability' may seem cliché and ambiguous, but those dedicated to its principles are resolute and clear. Our reporters and editors have tried their best to encapsulate the essence of these individuals. I trust you will find value in their narratives and feel compelled to join in the pursuit of a sustainable future, in whichever way you can.
Sincerely,
Editor-in-chief
Lee Ji Youn
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ji Youn Lee
DEPUTY EDITORS
REPORTERS
Amelia Bo
Carmen Cao
Connie Wong
Edith Mao
Elain Lai
Haicen Yang
Hannah Wang
Jim Au
Joon Kim
June Xia
Nancy Wang
Nansen Chen
Natasha Ng
Rain Zhao
Sherry Wang
Suri Yang
Tricia Li
Trista Kurniawan
Vinci Ao
Yoyo Chan
Yutong Liu
Zoe Hwang
Zoey Zhang
Jemima Badajos
Nicole Chu
Tom Shuai
Winona Cheung
PHOTO
James Modesto
SOCIAL MEDIA
Siena Cheng
VIDEO
Brian Ng
Renee Tsang
ART
Elif Ayhan
Jeffrey Chan
Vivian Miu
ADVISORS
Jenny Lam
Robin Ewing
PUBLISHER
Zhong Bu
PRINTER
Win Fung Production Limited
PRINTER ADDRESS
Flat G, 13/F, Blk. 3, Golden Dragon Ind. Ctr., 172-180 Tai Lin Pai Rd., Kwan Chung, NT
EDITORS
Aruzhan Zeinulla
Brian Ng
Carmen Wong
Elif Ayhan
Emily Chan
Jacky Poon
James Modesto
Jeffrey Chan
Jemima Badajos
Jerry Li
Ji Youn Lee
Katy Wong
Kelly Chow
Kelly Kong
Marcus Lum
Nicole Chu
Rebecca Yang
Renee Tsang
Sia Rui
Siena Cheng
Tom Shuai
Vivian Miu
Winona Cheung
ESG compliance: easier said than done for small businesses
Labour importation threatens local job security
Hong Kong bus companies driving toward carbon neutrality
Saving food from waste
Getting to know Hong Kong through sustainable ecotourism
Traffic and coal: Jakarta’s battle against air pollution
Unsustainable mental healthcare due to shortage of counsellors
Green buildings: toward a sustainable future
Hong Kong beekeepers find ways to battle extreme weather
ESG COMPLIANCE: EASIER SAID THAN DONE BUSINESS
By June Fan Xia and Rain Zhao Runtong / Edited by Lee Ji Youn and Eric Jiang
Two years ago, Edmund Chan started a small company called Meat The Next which offers plant protein products.
He came up with the idea soon after his child was born as he wanted to protect the environment for the next generation through sustainable development.
“Sustainable development has the highest priority in our business,” Chan said. “We want to provide a solution to our customers and give them the platform to protect the environment.”
Chan’s company develops their leading products in an environmental, social and corporate governance or ESG philosophy. That means they are mindful of the company's sustainability, including its effects on the environment and the broader society.
According to the company’s website, the carbon emission in producing one kilogram of tiger nut milk is less than 0.9 kg, far lower than the 3.2 kg in producing the same amount of cow’s milk.
“Our society is becoming more concerned about our environment compared with the previ-
ous decade, and companies are embracing the idea of ESG as consumers are calling for more sustainable development,” said Davis Bookhart, Director of the Sustainability Office at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,
A Hong Kong Consumer Council survey in 2023 found that 87% of consumers said they would be willing to pay an addi-
tional 5% or more for products or services that are environmentally friendly or sustainably produced.
However, developing ESG is easier said than done for small enterprises. “The lack of talent is a major challenge for SMEs,” said Keith Chan, assistant professor of HKUST. “It will affect their ability to make their ideas financially feasible.”
Joseph said the government would continue
THAN DONE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Joseph Chan Ho-Kim, the Undersecretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, government would continue to enable SMEs to share the fruits of ESG and green finance development
Edmund Chan said his company has cooperated with experts from different fields, such as product development, test and retailing. “If small businesses do things individually, it is like trying to speak up but making no sound,” Chan said.
Meat The Next worked with Hiang Kie Coffee, a local business that sells beverage and coffee machines. Hiang Kie
Coffee produces environmentally friendly straws to Meat The Next, and helps distribute its tigernut milk to its customers. business that sells beverage and coffee machines. Hiang Kie Coffee produces environmentally friendly straws to Meat The Next, and helps distribute its tigernut milk to its customers.
To help SMEs with talent shortage, the Hong Kong Productiv-
ity Council held the “Foresight 2024” event and launched “ESG One”, a platform that SMEs can use to conduct industry exchanges and absorb talents and experience.
The government-sponsored platform consists of data capture, performance analysis, and automated reporting services. Users can get a free one-minute online survey to evaluate their organisation's ESG performance, according to their website.
Some SMEs also find it difficult to follow the arbitrary ESG standards and regulations around the world.
In Hong Kong, all listed companies are required to disclose complete ESG reports but go with the “comply or explain” rule.The European Union uses the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation as the standard for ESG and disclosure of ESG reports
While it varies in both Hong Kong and the EU. In China, companies only need to disclose an environmental report.
Detlet, a company that makes soil-friendly outdoor portable toilets, is another example of an SME trying to navigate
confusing ESG regulations.
As this company has expanded its consumer base worldwide, Lian Chan, Managing Director of Detlet, says the standards are getting more difficult for SMEs to follow.
“Whether to go with China or European Union ESG standards or adapt to local rules is left up to SMEs,” said Keith Chan. “Before investing in the ESG area, companies need to under-
stand and comply with different rules.”
The shortage of funds is another problem SMEs face. A 2023 survey from the Hong Kong Productivity Council reported that 64% of SMEs believe that the biggest difficulty in implementing ESG is the lack of relevant funds.
Producing an annual sustainability report for larger entities can easily cost over HK$ 780,000,
according to CSR Hub, a Big Data platform collecting Corporate Social Responsibility data.
The total amount of green and sustainable bonds arranged for issuance in Hong Kong in 2022 was the highest in the Asian market, accounting for about one-third of the total share. However, relatively few SMEs qualified for these green funds.
Cora Chun, representative of the sponsor institution, Bank
of China (Hong Kong) of the HKPC’s “ESG One” platform, said her company saw the struggle of SMEs applying ESG in their business due to the lack of funds. She hopes the money from the sponsorship can ease their burden.
Due to the problem of funds, Davis Bookhart suggests that SMEs should consider ESG as a financial risk factor that may influence their future development.
“SMEs should think of ESG as part of long-term financial health,” said Bookhart. “They can start embracing the idea but should think practically.”
Looking at ESG for SMEs in the future, Keith Chan said it shows there is a great demand for new blood “But students seem to have a prejudice towards university programmes related to ‘environment’ at present,” he added, “although we face huge supply and demand imbalanc-
es, young students have not yet changed their mindset”.
As trained professionals are rare, the industry lacks experts who can transmit descriptive actions into ESG reports that benefit sustainable development of businesses.
“ Even many big companies choose to outsource their ESG parts and struggle with ESG talents,” said Keith Chan. “The situation could be only worse for SMEs.”
LABOUR
LABOUR IMPORTATION THREATENS LOCAL JOB SECURITY
Written by Jim Au Yeung and Wei Ying Vinci Ao
Edited by Ka Man Wong
It has been six months since the government launched various labour importation schemes aimed at addressing a labour shortage in the construction and transportation sectors.
Last year, Hong Kong saw a manpower shortage of 17,50024,000 in the construction industry, and 3,600 public light bus and coach drivers, according to Legco figures.
But labour unions say the government should instead focus on fixing the flaws in labour protection laws in order to promote local employment and sustain the workforce.
According to a press release
from the Hong Kong Construction Association in January, the first workforce demand survey result after the start of the importation scheme shows a shortage of 8,208 workers.
The government has approved 4,680 out of the 12,000 applications in the first round for 20 construction contracts.
HKCA supports the scheme as a supplementary measure to resolve the urgent labour shortage but expects the government to enhance labour sustainability by introducing multiple measures, including hiring new blood in the industries, utilising technologies, and providing more training to the existing workforce as
the scheme is not permanent.
Ng Wai-leung, Equity Director of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union said that the highly mobile work nature of construction work makes it hard to safeguard job vacancies for local workers.
“We would only import labour when the workload exceeds the demand. We should only aim to fill up the short-term manpower gaps,” said Ng. “When the demand shrinks, it is really unacceptable that companies fire local workers before imported ones. Instead, imported workers should go home once they are not engaged in any projects.”
According to Ng, many imported labourers are working on the ThirdAirport Runway System at Hong Kong International Airport. He hoped that the agencies and government can provide language courses and training for the imported workers to enhance overall working efficiency.
The sudden surge in labour demand is brought about by former Chief Executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s promo-tion of large-scale projects.
However, around 45% of 284,000 local registered workers were aged 50 or above as of October 2023, according to HKCA.
A construction site next to Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong.
“Do we really need that much labour for the projects including civil engineering, buildings and house maintenance? The imported ones are less familiar with different aspects in our sectors,” said Ng. “Currently, most of our local labour responsible for physical work is 50 to 65 years old, and the young people who are willing to enter our industry aim for a more comfortable workspace, such as safety directors and office clerks.”
Ng agreed with HKCA’s urge that the government should provide incentives and nurture younger labour to ensure employment sustainability.
According to the Transport
Department, there were 166,128 licensed public light bus drivers in November 2023, down 0.3% from the year-end of 2022, and 1.5% from the year-end of 2020.
The Government launched the “Labour Importation Scheme For Transport Sector” to address the shortage of minibus drivers.
Chan Fung-yuen, director of the Motor Transport Workers General Union (Public Light Bus Branch), said that Hong Kong’s road situation may be too complicated for imported drivers.
“Imported workers may not be coming from first-tier cities, and thus their roads are probably not as busy and complex as Hong
Kong’s,” said Chan. “They may not be able to adapt to Hong Kong’s fast pace.
“Currently, most of the public light bus drivers are elderly, and the majority are retired franchised bus drivers,” said Chan. “The local workforce, especially the younger generations, is unwilling to join the industry.”
“Public light bus drivers are the least protected workers among all sectors and covered by the least amount of welfare, yet it is a tough job,” said Chan. “How would anyone want to join the industry?”
According to the Transport Department, the median wage of a minibus driver was HK$14,300 for working eight hours a day, 26 days a month.
That is lower than the median wage of HK$19,300 for coach drivers who work the same hours, and HK$22,300 for cross-boundary bus drivers who work nine hours a day, 26 days a month.
“The salaries of public light bus drivers vary a lot, and most of the time they cannot support their families,” said Chan. “The minimum hourly wage [of minibus drivers] should be raised
to HK$80 per hour and their welfare should be improved in order to attract young people to become minibus drivers.”
“I support the labour union’s view” said Chan Wing-kwok, 73, a full-time public light bus driver. “The current regulation is just not enough to protect the industry’s workforce.”
Chan believes the labour importation scheme is a waste of money. Instead, he wants the government to focus on improving the salary and welfare of existing drivers.
Wong Wah-sing, 70, also a
full-time minibus driver, said otherwise.
“I don’t have a strong opinion regarding labour importation. It really depends on how one sees it,” said Wong. “As long as these drivers are licensed, I think it is fine.”
Wong also said that the current labour protection regulations are insufficient and must be improved to retain the labour force.
In the 2023 Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu introduced measures to strengthen local workforce
protection, including schemes that encourage elderly and middle-aged persons to rejoin the labour force with allowance incentives, as well as raising the minimum hourly wage.
But Wong believed the ageing workforce is not sustainable in the long term.
“Drivers are aging, they require body checks more frequently, and their reaction time is only getting slower,” Wong said. “I believe it is adding to the labour shortage that we have today.”
A minibus features a hiring advertisement on the side at a transportation depot in Kowloon Tong.
TRANSPORTATION
Reported by Yang Shuyi, Wang Jing, Wang Ludan
Edited by Tsz Yuen Kong
Eon Hong Kong's streets
lectric buses started appearing starting in 2022, transforming the city’s image of traffic clogged up with old double deckers that belch out pollution. These buses use environmentally friendly new energy as fuel, which can reduce emissions better than diesel buses.
HONG KONG BUS TOWARD
Citybus will put Hong Kong’s first hydrogen bus on the road this month, and it will soon come into the market. “We plan to test the performance of diesel, electric, and hydrogen buses by deploying five buses of each type on the same route in the second half of this year. ” said Lee Ka-ming, Citybus's
Head Engineering Manager.
“Based on the results, we will decide on the proportion of hydrogen and electric buses in our plans. We prefer to use data comparisons to support our decisions on which buses to choose,"Lee said.
At present, there are 21 KMB routes serving the public with electric buses, accounting for about 56 electric buses.
“Double-decker electric buses have been in service since 2023, and their performance has been very satisfactory. Since a bus can operate for 18 years, we will continue to monitor its performance and prepare to cope with any possible difficulties,” said Kenny Kan, Head of KMB's corporate communications and public affairs department.
“KMB expects to replace diesel buses with fully electric ones by 2040,” he added.
According to local think tank, Civic Exchange, Hong Kong's transportation sector accounts for the second largest share of total Greenhouse gas sessions, emitting 18.7%. Commercial vehicles such as buses only
In January 2024, Citybus completed the first trial operation of Hong Kong's first three-axle double-deck hydrogen bus.
BUS COMPANIES DRIVING
TOWARD CARBON NEUTRALITY
account for 20% of the total number of vehicles in Hong Kong but contribute over 90% of nitrogen oxide (NO) emission, a significant contributor to roadside air pollution.
“Compared with diesel buses, new energy buses do not produce harmful emission, thus directly reducing the use of non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels and the emission of GHG,” Kan added, “We can effectively alleviate air pollution and that has considerable benefits for the sustainable development of Hong Kong's environment.”
Despite the smooth operation and advantages of new energy buses in Hong Kong, there are limitations to the technology and a regulatory framework.
“The characteristics of Hong Kong's bus routes with many slopes and stops will result in higher power consumption for buses carrying bulky batteries,” said theAssistant Corporate Communications Manager of Citybus, John Yu.
Compared with electric buses, hydrogen buses have low battery weight and low loss of
energy, so they can easily cope with the routes in Hong Kong. However, the supply of hydrogen is a problem.
Shao Minhua, head professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, says Hong Kong's hydrogen energy mainly relies on imports, and the local hydrogen energy industry is small.
Most hydrogen production in Hong Kong is gray hydrogen from fossil fuels. "If we can't guarantee hydrogen purity when we use it, the process of producing hydrogen may produce more pollutants than the original
vehicle," said Tom Wu, Project Director at Greenpeace.
The introduction of new energy buses has resulted in higher costs for the bus companies, KMB and Citybus hope the gov-ernment will provide subsidies to help them realize the new energy transformation.
“The existing road traffic laws do not consider the emergence of hydrogen buses, thus imposing restrictions on their usage,” said John Yu, City’s busAssistant Corporate Communications Manager, “We could only plan for hydrogen buses to run within Kowloon because the tunnel regulations prohibit vehicles carrying inflammable
and explosive substances from crossing the tunnel."
“After our repeated verification, the risk factor of hydrogen buses is almost zero despite carrying hydrogen. We hope the policy can change to allow hydrogen buses to pass through tunnels soon.” Yau said.
"We have installed hydrogen concentration detectors in our buses for real-time notification of whether there is a hydrogen leak, as well as at least four automatically activated fire extinguishers," he added.“We plan to collaborate with Towngas on the upcoming second hydrogen filling station to maximize the utilization of available hydrogen and enhance the energy supply,”
On the future of hydrogen energy, Prof. Shao says Hong Kong should cooperate with mainland cities or even directly produce energy instead of
relying on imported energy or extracting hydroxide from natural gas.
"We can produce hydrogen in the South China Sea and deliver it to Hong Kong to become a storage center for green hydrogen, which will also make us a centre for hydrogen trading," Shao said.
Bus companies must focus on technological development policy assistance and effectively promote new energy buses to achieve the carbon neutrality goal. “Collaboration from vari-ous policy aspects is necessary to overcome regulatory limita-tions,” said Yu.
"As the new energy market gets bigger and bigger, we believe that the policy cooperation will also get better," Yu added.
The hydrogen bus’s vehicle data to inform
Citybus's
The hydrogen bus’s dashboard can display real-time monitoring vehicle data to inform the driver to avoid accidents.
Citybus's hydrogen refueling station in West Kowloon has an anti-static coating on the ground to prevent static electricity buildup.
TRAFFIC AND COAL: JAKARTA’S BATTLE
Reported by Trista Kurniawan
Edited by Aruzhan Zeinulla
Blueskies are rare in Jakarta. Thick smog blankets the city’s skyline, the air feels stifling from the smoke and fumes and people here with pollution every day.
According to a Switzerland air monitoring company IQ Air, Jakarta was dubbed “the world’s most polluted city” in 2023. The concentration of pollution particles, known as Particulate Matter 2.5 in Jakarta is higher than in other cities such as Shanghai, Wuhan, and New Delhi, and the city is placed under the “very unhealthy air quality” category.
Jakarta is home to over 11 million people and has been among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world since May 2023.
Dr. Muchtaruddin Mansyur, a professor of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine from the faculty of medicine at the University of Indonesia said, “The problem of air pollution in Jakarta is a problem that must be handled as soon as possible because the effects are not only
Vehicles stuck in traffic on General Sudirman Road in Central Jakarta during the weekend Feb 3, . Vehicle emission is the largest cause of poor air quality in Jakarta.
in the short run, but also the long run onto future generations to come.”
Mansyur explained that air pollution affects our health as we breathe in the pollutants that enter our bloodstream. In the long term, our bodies become more susceptible to illnesses including cancer, stroke, and other respiratory diseases.
A statement from thehead of disease prevention and control at the Jakarta Health Agency mentioned that the number of respiratory disease cases linked to air pollution increased in
2023 compared to 2022.
He also explained that air pollution is primarily more dangerous to children, pregnant women and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma and lung cancer.
The city is currently discussing more efforts to improve its air quality. With the elections in February, the three candidate pairs have promised more efforts to address climate change and other related issues, including air pollution.
According to the Ministry of
BATTLE AGAINST AIR POLLUTION
the weeke. Vehicle emission is the largest
Environment and Forestry, 44% of Jakarta’s air pollution is from vehicles and 31% comes from industries.
Ronny Ekobakti, a car workshop entrepreneur in Jakarta, mentioned that private transportation has become a neces-sity to get anywhere in Jakarta. There is a lack of public transportation and access in the city, causing a rise in traffic.
In November 2023, the government reimposed fines for vehicles that have not or do not pass the mandatory emissions test that was previously delayed in
January 2021.The emissions test uses a machine called a gas analyzer, which measures the carbon monoxide level of the emissions. If the level is above 2.5, cars are repaired to improve their emissions.
“It’s quite effective. But not all car workshops have a gas analyser because the machine is costly to purchase,” he said.
When asked about other methods the government may implement to reduce air pollution from cars, he said that the government should also do more random checks on vehicles and
immediately get them off the roads.
According to Deon Arinaldo, Program Manager of Energy Transformation at the Institute for Essential Services Reform, a non-profit organization that researches public policies that advocate for clean energy transformation, Jakarta has many neighbouring cities with power plants that can spread pollution within five to ten km and even farther, depending on the weather and wind conditions.
The reason behind the high number of power plants dates
A car mechanic measures emission from a car using a gas analyser .
back to the early 2000s when the government lacked a supply of electricity. The government came up with a fast-track programme that provided Independent Power Producers with the permit to build power plants and generate and sell electricity to Indonesia’s national electricity company.
Under Jokowi’s presidency, the issuing of licences for new coal-fired power plants has been banned since 2022. This move was part of the 2022 Presidential Regulation on the acceleration of renewable energy, which aims to terminate all coal-fired power plants before 2050. Arinaldo further explained that there are more renewable energy
sources nowadays as technology advances and costs decline. These sources have become more affordable and can be pur-chased and installed by diverse groups of people who wish to generate clean electricity.
“It’s a matter of teamwork. It’s not just big companies, but anyone can contribute to the move to cleaner energy. Families can help by installing solar panels on their rooftops,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry stated that other industries, such as paper factories, which use coal to generate electricity also contribute to poor air quality
Arbaiyah Muhar is the head of the Human Resources Development and General Affairs section of PT Noree, a paper factory located in Bekasi, a city 31 km from Jakarta.
According to Muhari, the emissions and pollution at their factory originate from two sources - emissions released from boilers’ chimneys and debris generated throughout the whole production process.
“To reduce emissions from our chimney, we installed a multi-cyclone device in our boilers. This separates dust from the steam, reducing the pollution dispersed in the air,” explained Muhari.
A power plant operates in Pluit, an administrative village located in Jakarta
She added that they use a coalfired boiler to dry their papers. They often spray water on the coal to minimise the debris from the coal.
When asked about finding alternatives to coal-fired boilers, she explained that there are other boilers powered by oil and natural gas, but they are more costly to maintain and operate.
“In Indonesia, we are still subject to emissions regulations, and the government does not provide subsidies for such machinery,” she said.
She explained that the government conducts annual reports on the pollution of factories. By measuring the emissions and
their impact on the surrounding areas, factories are encouraged to be mindful of the pollutants they release. Otherwise, they can be sanctioned.
As Mansyur said, “Regulations should be tighter and must not remain on a local scale. The issue of air pollution should be prioritized on a national level.”
He also mentioned that everyone can contribute to reducing air pollution.
To reduce its source, we can clean our houses regularly, plant more trees, take more public transportation, encourage the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and avoid open burning
activities. To protect ourselves from it, we can use masks, close ventilation systems, and boost our immune systems with a nutritious diet.
"It isn’t easy to achieve this because our condition is quite bad, but with public awareness, we can all work together to reduce air pollution,” he said.
A coal-fired boiler that operates 24 hours in PT Noree, a paper factory in Bekasi, a neighbouring city of Jakarta.
FOOD SAVING FOOD FROM WASTE
Reported by Cao Jiawen and Wang Ruoshui
Edited by Shuai Juncong
Alice Chan, 37, a job seeker who arrived in Hong Kong last month from the mainland, has become a frequent visitor to GreenPrice in Central, the first short-dated goods retailer in Asia.
On the shelves of the store, soon-to-expire products ranging from snacks to cosmetics are stacked up neatly and price tagged,— some at about one tenth of the original prices.
“There's no premium for food here. Every time you buy it, you eat it on time and there's no waste,” said Alice.
Hong Kong was ranked as the world's 42rd most food vulnerable place by financial group Nomura in 2019. Latest government data shows that about 3,302 tonnes of food waste end up in landfills everyday in Hong Kong, making up 30% of the total Municipal Solid Waste.
Among the waste, some was discarded simply because it has passed its “best before” date, but are still edible.
Founded in Hong Kong in 2016, GreenPrice acquires branded food and cosmetics that are close to expiry , and sells them through its online platform and retail stores at steep discounts.
According to GreenPrice, "Best before" and "Use by" dates are often confused.
Food beyond the “Use by“ dates is extremely perishable and a matter of food safety. However, beyond the "Best before" date, the food may still be safe to eat though it may have lost some of its quality, according to the“ Common Misconceptions” of the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety.
To reassure the edibility of the food near the expiry date,
in addition to weekly check, GreenPrice will also send their pre-packaged products to Hong Kong Baptist University for sampling, according to Judie, the staff of public relations at GreenPrice.
Today, with eight outlets across the city, GreenPrice claims to save more than 2.5 million products from landfills each year.
The group is currently planning to open a new shop in Kowloon City “After the shop's popularity increases, more retailers will trust us and be willing to provide us with expired goods, reducing the hindrance of collecting products,”said Judie.
Some shops showed a conservative attitude as to whether they wouldact as suppliers to shops of foods with expiry dates.
Shopkeepers are concerned that if they give short-dated food to expired shops, they may not
sell it in accordance with the regulations, and so damage their reputation.
"We don't usually offer expired food to these expiration date shops voluntarily," said Henry Chan, a staff member at PARKnSHOP. "But in response to the government's call to reduce food waste, we will sell some of the day's expired products at low prices." Food dumped by supermarkets is not only recycled by business companies, but also utilized by non-profit organizations like Food Angel.
Unlike GreenPrice, Food Angel collects mostly raw ingredients from suppliers, supermarkets and wet markets that would normally have been thrown out, and then prepares them into meals. They are then distributed to people in need, from the elderly who visit its community center,to low-income families with young children, and homeless people.
“Although we don't have strict criteria for grantees, we do our best to help those who really need it,” said Janice Wang, a staff member of Food Angel.
Of all the expired foods GreenPrice sells, crisps are the best seller
Janice added that each week they collect over 45 tonnes of expired food that can still be eaten from large shopping malls and neighborhood markets.
But in recent years, affected by economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stores have started to sell this food at a lower price instead of donating it, which has resulted in less distribution than expected.
“ Our food collection is unstable. This is a problem that Food Angel is facing at the moment,” said Janice Wang.
Katie Lui, 35, a housewife with two kids, already participated in two volunteer activities at Food Angel.“It's very good, when I take my children to distribute food to the elderly, I always teach them to take care of food and respect others, ” she said, “actions speak louder than words.”
In Hong Kong, apart from organizations specializing in handling short-dated food, many small food stores also take initiatives. Slowood, a small food store, sells its own unsold short-dated food at a 50% discount. Once this offer has been launched, every time it is put on the shelves, customers will buy it, and the result is satisfactory.
“The speed at which these short-dated goods are sold out makes me feel that more and more people are accepting short-dated goods,” said Tania Liao, the manager of Slowood.
“In fact, many customers walk into the shop and do not buy anything, but just ask for some information about the shortdated goods,”Judie said. “It's great to see short-dated goods getting much attention.”
Food Angel's Vending Machines Offer Recycled Meals Photo: Food Angel
Every day, volunteers come to Food Angel's site in Lai Chi Kok for food portioning
ECO-TOURISM
GETTING TO KNOW HONG KONG THROUGH SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM
Reported by Chan Wing Yiu and Kim Seojoon
Edited by Cheung Wai Sum and Elif Ayhan
Stepping into the forest, a symphony of bird songs filled the air. Chow Kwok-pun, 57, could practically name every bird in Hong Kong just from their songs.
“The best way to teach people about conservation and creating a sustainable environment is to bring them to nature and feel it with their hearts,” said Chow, a secondary school laboratory technician.
Apart from his regular job as a teacher, Chow has been an eco-tour guide for 11 years with a passion for promoting environmental sustainability. Every weekend, he runs bird watching and stargazing tours all over Hong Kong, spanning both rural and urban areas.
Ecotourism, according to the the International Eco-tourism Society, is “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” Tours, like the ones run by Chow, became popular during the pandemic since many people opted for outdoor activities.
According to the World Tourism Organization, the market value of ecotourism is projected to increase from $219.53 billion in 2023 to $249.16 billion in 2024.
The growth, according to UNWTO, is the result of rising demand for authentic experiences, government initiatives and policies, the emergence of responsible travel, and efforts on biodiversity conservation, along with the integration of educational components.
On weekends, Chow’s eco-tours start at 8 am at early Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, a popular spot among naturalists, biologists and locals who crave serenity.
The Reserve covers 440 hectares of forest on the steep catchment area of a stream. The forest extends from 50 metres above sea level to the top of Grassy Hill (Tso Shan), at 647 metrest. “It is the best forest left in Hong Kong. You can see the well-grown canopy,” Chow said.
“People think that there are no birds and stars in the city, I’m here to prove them wrong,” Chow said. He loves exploring tracks of nature through the “concrete jungle” and watching birds in Ho Man Tin Moun-tain where he works at nearby school.
Chow's student Sherborn Leung, 14, has been joining the tours for two years. He has a passion for birdwatching and is particularly fascinated by the majestic nature of the mountains.
“I can keep records of birds and contribute to science by becoming a citizen scientist,” he said. Leung appreciates the magnificence of nature through the tour. “We can also observe other creatures such as butterflies and insects. It helps me understand that every species has its value,” he said. Leung is also fascinated by mountains. He said that nature makes his worries go away.
Chow said participants can learn about ecosystems through birdwatching. “There is a lot of knowledge required in bird-watching.
“Nature does not need humans to protect it. The best continuity of nature is not to touch it,” Chow said.
We study fungi, plants, weather conditions, soil, etc,” Chow explained. Birds stick to specific kinds of plants, and fungi play an important role in nature. Some plants rely on the nutrients provided by fungi. “Nature is way more intelligent than we thought,” Chow said. Every living thing is connected in the ecosystem.
Leung also follows Chow to go stargazing, allowing him to have a better understanding of the ecosystem. “The Earth's axis is tilted at more than 23 degrees as it revolves around the Sun, causing the changes in seasons throughout the year. This phenomenon leads to the migration of birds, hibernation of animals, and the seasonal blooming of plants, among other cycles,” Chow explained, adding that living things are just a small part of the universe. The balance of ecosystems is also a
part of the 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution. “Therefore, it is important to have a mindset of appreciation,” said Chow. Birds play significant ecological roles, including pollination, seed dispersal, and insect control. They contribute to the balance and health of ecosystems.
“In Hong Kong, when people encounter a forest, they often perceive it as a chance to gain money and thus covering it with concrete,” Chow said., “We need to blend in with the untouched nature, and understand the value of it. Eventually we will be willing to protect it,” Chow said.
According to legislative council statistics, 75% of Hong Kong is conserved in its natural state, while protected areas encompass 44,300 hectares, constituting 40% of the total land area. Despite its small size,
Hong Kong possesses remarkable biodiversity. It is home to approximately 3,300 species of plants, 55 species of terrestrial mammals, 115 species of amphibians and reptiles, 194 species of freshwater fish, over 130 dragonfly species, and about 245 butterfly species. What's more, Hong Kong proudly hosts over 570 recorded bird species, which accounts for one third of the total bird species found in China.
“Many people are not aware of the biodiversity in Hong Kong, they think Ocean Park is the only place to visit animals,” said Benita Chick, 41, a part-time lecturer at the University of Hong Kong, teaching “Working Toward Sustainable Development Goals Through Experiential Learning”. Chick is also the founder of Encompass Hong Kong, a social enterprise emphasizing sustainability.
Chow Kwok-pun (in the red cap) organizes eco-tours for the blind association, Po Leung Kuk Children and Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.
Her group organizes various eco-tours, including nature hikes, night walks, and guided tours on the sea. Participants can engage in activities such as kayaking and snorkeling.
Chick said that the biggest difficulty of promoting eco-tourism was that people didn’t realize the ecological value in Hong Kong. “People lack awareness of the ecology, thinking that they must go far away to see the natural ecological environment,” she said. She suggested that people should experience the diversity of life in nature with real people, rather than rely on green films and books.
Encompass HK also holds community lectures, in which they provide free explanations about the characteristics of animals and help raise awareness about the importance of conservation.
“The ratio of instructors to participants will always be maintained to ensure in-depth explanations so that we can address any questions raised by participants, ensuring clear visibility of encountered animals,” Chick said.
Encompass Hong Kong also emphasizes the importance of minimizing disturbance to wildlife while enjoying their presence.
“We will remind participants to shine their lights clearly on the ground during night walks to avoid stepping on organisms, and also not to touch animals after applying mosquito repellent, as the chemicals can harm them,” Chick said.
The Conservancy Association, an environmental NGO, also holds tours related to sustainable
travel in Hong Kong. Among the eight selected trails, it offers hikes of different levels of difficulty and length, with some passing through historical sites and buildings, ancient paths, and popular camping spots.
“The rich biodiversity of Hong Kong's mountains attracts many visitors. Participants on these hikes clean up litter along the way, explore the mountain and beach landscapes of Hong Kong, and understand the close relationship between Hong Kong's abundant biodiversity and the conservation of natural resources,” said Lingli, the branding manager, at Conservancy Association.
Birds can detect the magnetic force of the earth.
Chick believes that Hong Kong is suitable for ecological tours because the city is very close to nature.
Arron Tai Lun, a year four social work student from Hong Kong Baptist University, has been working as an intern at a clinic in Kwun Tong run by the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong for more than six months.
Apart from organising counselling sessions, groups and mass programmes for his patients, Tai has been dealing with more than 60 patients who either have or are suspected to have mental illness. The patients are aged from 12 to 29 years. l“At the centre where I am an intern, every social worker needs to look after around 60 to 80 cases from Kwun Tong District. They are really exhausted and cannot leave work on time,” Tai said.
In Hong Kong, there are only 7.55 psychiatrists and 8.15 clinical psychologists per 100,000 people. In most Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, the average ratios are around 18.0 and 53.0 per 100,000 people. In Singapore for example, there are 4.6 psychiatrists and 9.7 psychologists per 100,000 people. The Singapore government also launched a number of community mental health teams, known as CREST-Youth which target young people aged 14 to 29 years.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
UNSUSTAINABLE MENTAL HEALTHCARE DUE
TO SHORTAGE OF COUNSELLORS
Reported by Zoey Zhang, Elaine Lai
Edited by Marcus Lum
According to statistics from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Chinese University of Hong Kong, there were 11 counsellors for 17,265 students and 15 counsellors for 21,110 students at the schools’ counselling centres respectively.
As of September last year, eight CREST-Youth teams had reached over 87,000 young people and their parents.
The shortage of mental health care in Hong Kong means the average waiting time for a patient to see a psychiatrist can be almost two years, and each appointment only lasts six to eight minutes, according to Hospital Authority data.
The Department of Health said in a press release in January this year that 2.8% of students who sought help at Student Health Service Centres had contemplated suicide last year and 1.3 % actually tried to take their own lives. The rates for secondary school students were even higher:3.7% had thought about suicide and 1.6% made an attempt.
But at local universities, the psychology counsellor-to-student ratio was estimated to be around one to 1,500 students.
According to statistics from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Chinese University of Hong Kong, there were 11 counsellors for 17,265 students and 15 counsellors for 21,110 students at the schools’ counselling centres respectively.
Kenny Woo Shi-nam, 21, a student majoring in Chinese medicine at HKBU, felt stressed out from his studies.
“The workload exceeded my limit and I couldn't handle it. Basically I burned out and kept blaming myself,” said Woo. He sought help from the university’s counselling service. “I want to seek advice and calm down my emotions. I didn’t want the emotions to keep haunting me,”he said. He found the one hour consultation helpful because the counsellors could calm him down by listening to his problems and offer potential solutions.
Nelson Wong Hei-chun, the leader of Nite Cat Online, a support team that provides online counselling for young people, said academic and financial problems are common causes of mental health problems.
“When they are under pressure, students tend to be pessimistic and doubt themselves, questioning whether they should continue their studies or how to balance their lives,” Wong said.
“
When I left the counselling room, I felt like my muscles were relaxed and I felt relieved,” Kenny Woo Shi-nam said.
Wong also said changes in the surroundings such as social environment, economic prospects, and social mobility affect students to a certain extent.
“Even though they haven’t graduated yet, some students are worried that the changing environment will affect their future career,” Wong said.
Woo said the main source of stress for him is achieving social
The number of students who drop out of UGC-funded undergraduate programmes increased over the past nine years, reaching a peak of 2.7 percent (2342 students) in 2022, according to the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong.
expectations, especially in the Chinese medicine school, where most of the students are high performers.
“The workload can eventually be handled through time management or by asking others for help . But I just can’t stop thinking about how I can do better t,” Woo said.
Yet students are often unwilling to seek help because of stigmatisation and misunderstanding of sickness and health, according to Samson Tse Shu-ki, the dean of student affairs at Hong Kong University.
“Students may consider themselves among the best by coming to HKU. It is very difficult for them to accept that they are not coping well,” he said.
Tse said organising campaigns with students is the most important in mental healthcare because this can leverage creativity and connect with students who are less active and visible. In HKU, a student initiative called “Wellness @ HKU” collaborates with the school in shaping some health promotional messages and holding certain events to promote mental wellness on campus.
Wong hopes that the education system can focus more on nurturing students to accept failuresHe also advised the universities to offer more career planning and guidance to the students.
"Career planning and guidance in universities should be provided, and students should know
“ Prevention, early detection, and early warning don’t have to be done by professionals. Students know each other extremely well,” Samson Tse Shu-ki said.
the meaning of hard work and study," he said.
Tai suggested that more money and manpower should be channelled to the Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness in every district to ease the pressure of the limited number of social workers.
HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
GREEN BUILDINGS: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Reported by Yang Haicen, Liu Yutong, and Bo Chuxuan
Edited by Chu Yuqi
Nextto the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, a leisure and entertainment business centre is about to be launched.
The exteriors of the three main buildings are all made of glass walls, which effectively gives insulation and increases light sources, just like an airship. It's extensive green walls and surroundings with abundant plants signal its uniqueness as a green building.
“I am looking forward to the soon to be opened K11 Skies,” said Lai Wing-tsz, a passerby who just left the airport, “it amazes me and makes me wonder if it is still the Hong Kong I remember. ”
In recent years, the concept of green building has been developing rapidly in Hong Kong with the goal of a sustainable
future, a concept valued by the government and top developers.
"Green building is not just about the building itself," said Vivian Ngan, the assistant manager of Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), "it's about an organisational unity of the building and its surroundings."
Green buildings are supposed to be environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient by reducing
The K11 Skies themed office towers will offer entertainment, retail and food services between 2024 and 2025
carbon emissions, increasing green coverage, reusing waste materials, installing solar panels and district cooling systems.
K11 Skies for example, has been awarded platinum certification in several Hong Kong and international green building ratings, a recognition even higher than K11 Musea beside Victoria Harbour.
According to HKGBC, more than 57% of the roof of K11 Skies is covered with highly reflective coatings and greenery to reduce energy loss. It also uses non-chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigerating system in order to avoid ozone-depleting substances.
In addition to K11 Skies, there are thousands of other green buildings in Hong Kong.
In order to achieve the government’s long-term goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, green buildings are now a priority in sustainable development.
“Reducing air pollution is one of the top reasons why green buildings are vital to Hong Kong,” said Ngan.
According to the Environmental Protection Department, the annual average air quality index indicated by the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 molecules in Hong Kong surpassed the limit set by the World Health Organisation.
“Airborne dust and particulate matter will adhere to the surfaces of buildings as they pass through, thus worsening air quality and endangering public health,” Ngan said.
“We have very high-density public areas in Hong Kong and we do need to have a chance for the residents in this city to breathe better,”she added.
To improve the air quality, Ngan addressed the importance of green plot ratio, that is the amount of vegetation and open spaces relative to the surrounding buildings.
“In the narrow street between the dense buildings, a line of trees is vital to help keep the air clean by absorbing carbon dioxide and emission from the vehicles at road side,” Ngan said.
But since land resources are limited in Hong Kong, developers build green walls covered with hydroponics in order to upgrade the green plot ratio.
According to the K11 Group Sustainability Report, green walls increase the green plot ratio both indoor and outdoor by 2.2 times and about 4000 kilograms of carbon dioxide are absorbed annually, equivalent to the amount absorbed by 180 trees.
Energy conservation is also an important issue when it comes to green buildings.
Government figures show that Hong Kong's electricity consumption reached 11,965 terajoules (TJ) in November 2023, with buildings accounting for as much as 90% of the total, and generating more than 60% of local carbon emissions.
“Electricity in Hong Kong nowadays mainly relies on the not so environmentally-friendly way, such as coal and natural gas,” said Jeffrey Wong, a council member of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners.
The CIC Zero Carbon Building in Kowloon Bay constructed by the Construction Industry Council in collaboration with the government, is the first zero-carbon building in Hong Kong.
The building generates renewable energy through solar photovoltaic panels and a triple-supply system that utilises waste cooking oil to produce biofuel. The goal is to achieve zero net carbon emissions according to Construction Industry Council.
In 2010, Hong Kong launched "beam plus", a tool meant for assessing the sustainability performance of buildings. Neighbourhoods, new construction, existing buildings, and interior buildings are given different scores and receive ratings accordingly.
Four possible ratings determined by the percentage of applicable credits gained under
each performance aspect and its weighting factor, according to HKGBC BEAM Plus. Currently, the green building rating standard has been updated to BEAM Plus New Construction 2.0, with increased emphasis on waste management of building materials, the physical and mental health of building users, and added a new assessment programme to encourage integrated design by builders.
The costs of introducing green building initiatives are high. For example, additional funding is required for rooftop solar panels and green walls.
However, there are also other financial benefits for developers to choose green buildings. The Buildings Department added BEAM Plus as one of the prerequisites for applying for Gross Floor Area concessions in 2011,
and added 10% on capping concessions to provide financial incentives for new buildings.
"It means that buildings that apply for BEAM Plus certification are able to have more floors of office space, so private developers can balance their extra costs for sustainability and get profit by selling more office space," Wong said. "I think it's a better way to promote green buildings than giving funds directly to private developers."
"Moreover, even decades after a building is completed, developers can still save money from reduced energy consumption in the long run," Wong added.
As a key participant in BEAM Plus, Link REIT, Asia's largest REIT, aims to achieve 100%
green building certification by 2025/2026.
“Green building principles enhance sustainability not just for long-term returns but more importantly for our environment,” said a spokesperson for Link REIT. “We will prioritise adoption of the latest and most efficient equipment during any upcoming upgrades and firmly believe that these should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost, and we have not set a cap on our investment.”
"We support government incentives for green building projects involving environmental impact assessments," he added. "When planning to acquire new properties, we prioritise the acquisition of certified buildings or implement asset upgrading and certification
More than 90% of the roof at K11 Musea is green, of which 70 square metres are edible plants
programmes post-acquisition to achieve our goal."
Since the launch of BEAM Plus, the total floor area of registered projects has exceeded 74,500,000 square metres and more than 1,051 projects have been rated, according to HKGBC BEAM Plus.
"We have taken a big step towards green buildings by introducing BEAM Plus. However, public participation is low compared to other countries,” said Wong.
"In the UK, people can post their ideas for building a green community by filling out a questionnaire in the park," Wong said. "Hong Kong’s private developers can also let residents comment on the new building’s plan."
Developing public awareness of
green building is also important for its long-term development, Wong added.
"Green building can be introduced in the school curriculum," Wong said. “People will be more supportive of green buildings when they realise the advantages.”
Technology is another key factor to developing green buildings in Hong Kong.
For example, in Modular Integrated Construction, buildings are constructed in factories and then moved on to site, thus cutting the construction period and reducing the difficulty of construction.
According to the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, MiC can reduce on-site waste disposal by about 80%, reduce water and electricity consumption by more than 60%, reduce air pollution
by about 50%, and improve onsite labour productivity by more than 400%.
"Utilising MiC structures requires very accurate models to be built in factories in mainland China and then shipped to Hong Kong," said Wong." Unfortunately, few companies are willing to take the risk of shipping such expensive modules. "
In addition, the MiC application for high-rise buildings is still limited due to lack of strong inter-module jointing techniques, according to research by the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney.
“Hong Kong needs to step up efforts to introduce MiC as a technological support for green buildings and improve it to be more mature to meet the needs of Hong Kong's high-rise buildings,” said Wong.
CIC Zero Carbon Building in Kowloon Bay has solar photovoltaic panels on the roof, which supplies power to the building
The glass canopy of the pavilion can efficiently convert solar energy into electricity
BEEKEEPING
HONG KONG BEEKEEPERS FIND WAYS TO BATTLE EXTREME WEATHER
Reported by Edith Mao and Elaine Lai
Edited by Jemima Badajos
Mak Ping-Fei drives to his bee farm in Tai Mei Tuk everyday and has been doing so for seven years. He manages ten boxes of bees, cleaning them and checking on the bee queen.
“If you don't know how to raise them, the bees will find another hive. It takes time and effort to grow the colony,” Mak said. But Hong Kong’s beekeeping industry is battling the rising temperature caused by climate change. Honey bees prefer a temperate climate.
The Spring honey is harvested between April and June.Ten years ago, the mean temperature between June and November was 27.6 degrees, according to the observatory. But last year, that rose to 29.7 degrees, the highest ever recorded.
“Hong Kong is hot and rainy. Sometimes there are typhoons and the weather changes a lot,” Mak said.
The bee boxes on Mak’s farm
hold bee colonies which create 1.3 kilograms of honey every year. As climate change affects the weather, beekeeping and honey production has taken a hit.
Ivy trees, which are native to Hong Kong and common in the countryside, are the source of winter honey.
Mr Lam’s bee farm in Fanling was hit by a rainstorm last year.
“Those bee boxes were blown over. It was a mess. The bees were gone. Only eight boxes were left,” he recalled.
Lam did not give up. He built another 30 more hives seven months after the storm.
“Bees are very smart and sensitive. They collect food before the typhoon comes,” he explained. “We can’t change the weather. You have to face it.”
At another farm in Fanling, Siu Wai-Lung works on his own. He has 50 boxes, and usually tends to them from 7am to 5pm.
Siu has noticed there’s been a significant drop in the harvest.
“In the last two years, the honey in the winter is worse, because the weather is too warm, and those flowers (Ivy trees) have no yield, “ he said
The global honey market was valued at US$8.7 billion in 2023. But Siu is worried that climate change will make the sale of honey even tougher. ‘If you don’t get enough honey, no one will appreciate it,” Siu said.
To combat environmental changes, Mak uses the Lunar Calendar to figure out Hong Kong’s climate. He finds that the 24 solar terms, which are based on the position of the sun, is a better way to predict changes in weather patterns and agricultural activities than the conventional calendar.
“The weather is very different every year, so we cannot use the same indicators. Right now, Hong Kong has typhoons for two to three days, and then it rains for four to five days, “ he said.
As much as the future of bee keeping is unpredictable, Mak chooses to continue producing just that little bit of sweetness that everyone just loves.
PRINTED ISSUES
