Green Group Calls for Mandatory Carbon Reporting After Finding Gaps in Public Sector Emissions Data
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Green Earth has revealed that half of Hong Kong's government departments and public bodies have not disclosed their greenhouse gas emissions data, with some calculations based on outdated information. The non-profit group studied 82 public entities and found that while 41 published emissions data, about eight relied on an outdated emission factor. The findings highlight significant gaps in the city's carbon accounting as it strives to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050.
Key Points
- The Green Earth examined 82 public entities and found that 41 did not publish any emissions data
- Approximately eight entities used outdated emission factors, which could overestimate emission reductions
- Steven Chan Wing-kit, the group's assistant environmental affairs manager, warned that using outdated factors could inflate reduction achievements
- Hong Kong's two utility providers, CLP Power and HK Electric, publish their own adjusted emission factors reflecting changes in the energy mix
- The government has set an overall energy reduction goal and a target for carbon neutrality by 2050, but does not mandate carbon reduction targets for individual departments
Why It Matters
The gaps in emissions reporting could undermine Hong Kong's ability to monitor progress toward its 2050 carbon neutrality target, making it difficult to identify which departments require urgent resources for reduction efforts. Mandatory standardized reporting would also help public bodies seeking green finance by providing clear indicators for how funded projects contribute to environmental performance .
The gaps in emissions reporting could undermine Hong Kong's ability to monitor progress toward its 2050 carbon neutrality target, making it difficult to identify which departments require urgent resources for reduction efforts. Mandatory standardized reporting would also help public bodies seeking green finance by providing clear indicators for how funded projects contribute to environmental performance .