地球之友 Friends of the Earth

Earth Chat (SME Series): Restoring the Scent of Orange through Harmonious Coexistence

2022-06-24

In just a few short years, Zhanxiang Orange has become well known in Hong Kong. Through orchard visits and media coverage, more and more people identify with our vision and help us spread the message about environmental protection. Sustaining such concept is by no means an overnight process. As early as 2010, we founded Zhanxiang Green Agriculture Co. Ltd. in Chenzhou, Hunan and built a circular ecological farm characterized by "eco-breeding, resource recycling, green production, leisure tourism, and turning knowledge into practice".

Making Producer Responsibility a Success

2022-06-17

The Legislative Council reviewed the Plastic Shopping Bag (PSB) Charging Scheme and the Producer Responsibility Scheme on Glass Beverage Containers (GPRS) recently. On the former, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) proposed to double the $0.50 PSB levy and remove exemptions for frozen/chilled goods and some non-airtight packaged foodstuff. For the latter, EPD suggested fixing a $0.98 levy per litre-volume of beverage products.

Green Ammonia: Potential and Hurdles

2022-06-10

Green ammonia as a clean energy has become a trending topic in recent years, but what is green ammonia and how do you make ammonia green?

An Open Letter to Chief Executive-elect John Lee

2022-06-03

Dear chief executive-elect John Lee, your manifesto emphasised on ‘starting a new chapter for Hong Kong’, ‘improve governance capability’, and ‘enhance coordination and execution’. I hope you can keep your word. In the 25 years since the handover, Hong Kong’s environmental policies have been middling. Climate change, air pollution, and waste are still severe. Hong Kong’s environmental policies and progress still lag behind neighbouring regions like Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. Hong Kong must catch up quickly.

A New Green Chapter for Hong Kong

2022-06-03

“Only One Earth”—that is the theme of this year’s World Environment Day. It shares the same slogan as the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, when the conference designated June 5, today, as the day to promote awareness and action for the environment. 50 years later today, this slogan still rings true if not ever more.

A liveable city needs breathable air

2022-05-27

The Panel on Environmental Affairs reviews Hong Kong’s air quality and progress of improvement measures recently. Air pollution is the world’s top killer, responsible for 6.7 million avoidable deaths a year. In addition to early death, it burdens the public health system through doctor visits and hospitalisations. One in ten Hong Kong children is affected by asthma.

Building a shared future for all life

2022-05-20

This coming Sunday, May 22, is Biodiversity Day. What is biodiversity and why is it important?

ESG trend in the health care industry

2022-05-13

Climate change is a health crisis. The World Health Organization estimates that climate change will lead to an additional 250,000 deaths a year between 2030 and 20501. An expanding body of evidence is linking climate change phenomena to exacerbation of heart and lung diseases, increasing impact from infectious diseases, and malnutrition in vulnerable areas. Health care supply chain disruption, power outages and damage to health care infrastructure are seen with extreme weather events, and these disruptions are anticipated to escalate with time.

How should Hong Kong prepare for the carbon exchange market?

2022-05-06

The global carbon trading system developed rapidly in recent years. Although a unified market has not formed, countries are starting to develop a carbon trading system on a regional scale, adopting market-based practices. They are working together to fulfill emission reduction commitments and build linkages between various trading systems.

Q&A: Urban Yard Waste in Hong Kong

2022-04-29

Our urban forests provide many ecosystem services. However, when dead plants are disposed of at landfills as yard waste, it does not just take up resources and occupy landfill spaces. They also generate landfill gases. In the last ten years, the recycling rate of yard waste in Hong Kong was less than 3%, showing large room for improvement. What are the reasons for the low recycling rate? How can various sectors promote yard waste reduction and recycling?