A five-year cleaner production partnership scheme has launched offering Hong Kong-owned factories in the Pearl River Delta funds to cut emissions and boost energy efficiency.

Officiating at the programme's launch today Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau said cleaner production involves the entire production process from design, material procurement, production techniques to workflow, through the application of advanced technologies and management practices.

It will cut emissions and treatment costs and lower production costs by cutting material and energy consumption, thereby boosting factories' competitiveness, profitability and corporate image.

The programme covers four key initiatives - awareness promotion; on-site improvement assessment; demonstration projects; and verification of the effectiveness of improvement projects.

It will target eight sectors: textile; non-metallic mineral products; metal and metal products; food and beverage; chemical products; printing and publishing; furniture manufacturing; and paper and paper-product manufacturing.

Fund support will be provided to factories to engage environmental consultants to conduct on-site upgrade assessment, which will propose practical solutions to achieve energy savings and emission cuts.

Demonstration projects open for funding

Participating factories will receive fund support at 50% of the related costs subject to a cap of $15,000. In collaboration with environmental technology firms, factories can also apply for funding to conduct demonstration projects. The amount of funding support for each demonstration project averages $160,000.

The Productivity Council is the programme's implementation agent. Apart from providing technical support it will run awareness-promotion activities and offer independent third-party verification services on the effectiveness of improvement projects factories implement.

Factories interested in joining the programme can download application forms here.