Every individual can and must play a part to protect the environment for future generations, Chief Executive Donald Tsang told attendees of the 2007 International Conference on Climate Change.

Describing global warming as one of the most important challenges facing our planet, Mr Tsang stressed "it is up to each and every one of us to make the right choices, even if it means changing life-long habits when it comes to consuming."

He outlined several of the measures Hong Kong is taking to tackle the problem, including:

* encouraging the two local power companies to switch to cleaner fuels by linking their permitted rates of return to the achievement of emission reductions when their schemes of control are renewed next year;

* setting a target of 1% to 2% of our total electricity supply to come from renewable sources - such as wind turbines - by 2012;

* using methane gas at landfills as fuel;

* promoting energy efficiency, by installing automatic lighting control systems and more efficient air conditioning units, for example, and installing solar panels in government buildings;

* having planted more than 11 million trees in the last five years;

* encouraging people to use mass transit;

* providing technical assistance to factories in the Pearl River Delta Region to improve production techniques and slash emissions; and

* offering car owners concessions of up to $50,000 to switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles.

Gov't shows the way

The vast majority of Hong Kong citizens are willing participants, he said, and it often requires only a gentle reminder or a nudge in the right direction.

"Our Action Blue Sky Campaign does just that. To give one example, it urges people to keep their air conditioners at 25.5oC during summer months - a simple act that can save 1 billion units of electricity and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 700,000 tonnes a year.

"The government has also taken the lead by encouraging people to dress more casually in the hotter summer months so that they might not feel the need to twist the air conditioning knob a few degrees cooler."

He stressed combating climate change will only be successful if we all face up to our responsibilities, adding governments, big business, non-governmental organisations and individual citizens all have a significant role to play.