By Hillary Leung

Copyright hongkongfp

Environmental NGO Greenpeace has called for climate initiatives after the Hong Kong leader said in this year’s Policy Address that the city would fast-track a widely criticised development plan in the north.

Chief Executive John Lee did not raise a “single word” about climate adaptation and reducing waste at source, while “promoting ecotourism and actively pushing the development of the Northern Metropolis,” the green group said in a Chinese-language statement on Wednesday afternoon.

“Greenpeace emphasises the need to carefully look into conservation efforts in order to jointly create a sustainable future,” it added.

The NGO issued the statement hours after Lee delivered his Policy Address, an annual speech in which he announces the government’s plans for the coming years.

Among the highlights is expediting the development of the Northern Metropolis, a sprawling area near the city’s border with mainland China. Authorities plan to turn the area into a technological hub, boasting that it would provide homes and jobs for many in Hong Kong.

Lee said on Wednesday that he was “deeply concerned” about the progress of the development and that he would chair a new committee aimed at “streamlining administrative workflows and removing unnecessary barriers and restrictions.”

Greenpeace also commented on Lee’s mention of the “Four Peaks” project, a tourism initiative previously announced to promote the Peak, Lantau Peak, Sai Kung Hoi and Tai Mo Shan.

In response, Greenpeace cited its research, saying that it showed large areas of wetlands would be damaged by redevelopment.

“However, the Policy Address focuses on adding hardware infrastructure without considering the environment’s carrying capacity,” Greenpeace wrote, adding it was concerned that the development of country parks could destroy Hong Kong’s natural landscapes.

Friends of the Earth, another environmental NGO, separately said that it welcomed the city’s plans to develop a sustainable aviation fuel industry chain and construct a large-scale electric vehicle battery recycling facility, among other measures.

But it said the government must “set a credible carbon neutrality pathway” amid the threat of climate change, adding that the city experienced four black rainstorm warnings last month alone.

The Clean Air Network (CAN) said it welcomed initiatives such as building charging stations for electric vehicles and studying green shipping fuels. At the same time, it urged “more comprehensive recommendations” in areas such as air pollution and green transport.

The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), an NGO supporting the poor, said the government’s will to improve people’s livelihoods was noteworthy. However, it criticised the Policy Address for still being light on matters like living conditions in subdivided flats and the challenges faced by caretakers.

Civil servants’ accountability system

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the city’s opposition-free Legislative Council heaped praise on the Policy Address, saying it comprehensively targeted livelihood and economy issues.

Many said they were happy to see a streamlined approach to the Northern Metropolis development.

Other policies that were highlighted included a new civil servant accountability mechanism, which will see the heads of government departments and bureaus issued reprimands, salary cuts, and dismissals for “deficiencies,” underperformance and misconduct.

Speaking to reporters after the Policy Address, New People’s Party (NPP) chairperson Regina Ip said she approved of the mechanism.

The current accountability system is complicated, and employees are only responsible for criminal matters or misconduct, Ip said.

“With this [new accountability mechanism], the sense of responsibility of department heads over their department’s operations will be enhanced,” Ip said in Cantonese.

Judy Chan, also a lawmaker from the NPP, said she approved of a new measure that would allow restaurants to apply for a licence to permit dogs on the premises.

She said the measure could open the door to other types of pet-related businesses, such as shops selling pet healthcare products and places offering pet massages. Such businesses could help boost employment opportunities, Chan said.

“We see that there are many pet owners with high consumption power, and they do not travel north [to the mainland] on weekends,” the lawmaker added in Cantonese.

’90 marks’ for Policy Address

Lawmakers from the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA), a pro-business party, said they would give the Policy Address a score of over 90.

Lo Wai-kwok, the chairperson of the party, said the government had adopted “90 per cent” of the party’s suggestions.

BPA lawmaker Jeffrey Lam said he was pleased to see the government planned to develop Hong Kong’s “yacht economy.”

During the Policy Address, Lee said the city would promote “yacht tourism” by providing additional yacht berths and allowing yachts to anchor at government-designated waters, instead of having to reserve berths at yacht clubs or piers.

“This measure could help Hong Kong develop high-end tourism, adding new energy [into the sector],” Lam said in Cantonese.

He said this could also complement suggestions he had made in the Legislative Council about promoting “island hopping” in Hong Kong.

Wednesday’s Policy Address was Lee’s fourth as the city’s chief executive. Lee was elected unopposed in a small-circle election in 2022.

Lee said at the start of his speech that this year’s address was a “roadmap for Hong Kong to strive for a vibrant economy, pursue development, and improve people’s livelihood.”