The Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production held its 11th meeting in Hong Kong today to review the work progress in 2024 and approve the 2025 work plan.

The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan and Guangdong Province Department of Industry & Information Technology Director-General Tu Gaokun.

Governments of both Hong Kong and Guangdong will continuously promote the adoption of cleaner production technologies in energy-intensive industries for saving energy and the development of energy-saving equipment.

They will also support water-intensive industries to apply water-saving technological upgrades to reduce and control wastewater discharge, as well as promote enterprises to adopt relevant technologies to reduce solid waste and emissions, including controlling and reducing volatile organic compounds emissions at source.

In addition, both sides will encourage polluting industries to undertake cleaner production audits and support enterprises to pursue green transformation.

They will also continue to implement various publicity activities to promote the effectiveness of cleaner production to the industry.

An award presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme was held after the meeting to commend the efforts of 215 enterprises in pursuing cleaner production.

Of the enterprises, 42 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises were commended as Excellent Partners while 149 were commended as Partners.

Other commended enterprises included three sourcing enterprises and 21 environmental technology service providers.

The Environment & Ecology Bureau said cleaner production has brought remarkable benefits in improving environmental quality, adding that the 2024 Policy Address announced that $100 million would be injected to launch a new round of the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme for the application period from April 2025 to June 2027.