Message from Our Chairperson - Dr. S. S. Chung
“Ever-changing” is perhaps the best word to describe Hong Kong in the past year. A year ago, I believe most Hong Kong people were like me, spending every waking moment thinking about how to stay clear from COVID-19. One year later, almost everything is back to normal, which is certainly a cause for celebration; however, Hong Kong has not achieved zero-carbon electricity generation yet, so “returning to normal” likely means that our carbon emission in 2023 will be higher than last year. As a local green group with deep roots in the city, CA takes it upon ourselves to double down on the efforts to educate the public about energy conservation and carbon reduction.
Besides society’s recovery from the pandemic, 2023 is a historical year for us too. Our urban forestry education center “Jockey Club - The Conservancy Association Urban Forestry Green Hub” officially opened in June this year, where we can interact with the nearby communities and general public more directly, and become a new green education and leisure hotspot in Sham Shui Po.
We partnered with the Hongkong Bank Foundation to launch Hong Kong’s First Green Rehabilitation Bus Pilot Scheme, kicked off by the Launching Ceremony on 7 September 2022. Thanks to the hard work of the Steering Committee and Judging Panel composed of representatives from the government, power companies, social welfare organizations and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, we have selected 7 organizations suitable to participate in this scheme. The Green Rehabuses will start operating by the end of 2023 to assist with the organizations’ services; the data collected and experience gained will be of great help in facilitating the adoption of electric commercial vehicles in the social welfare sector.
On the other hand, our annual fundraising event “Hang Seng - CA Eco-Rangers” was switched from orienteering to team-based countryside clean-up due to the epidemic. Hongkongers would often venture into the countryside to take a break from the COVID-19 lifestyle, but this had a side effect of worsening the solid waste problem in our natural environment. During our clean-ups, we found that COVID-19 supplies such as masks and sanitizing wipes were among the most common non-recyclable rubbish. Take your litter home - it is our hope that while people enjoy Hong Kong’s countryside, they can contribute to keeping it clean and minimizing the negative impact on other organisms.
Lastly, a friendly reminder to all Hongkongers stuck inside the city borders for the past 3 years: when you happily set out for your next trip, please keep in mind the principles of low carbon and zero waste. How to do that? Just check out our activities!
Message from Our Chief Executive - Mr. Ken K. Y. So
COVID-19 is over at last in 2023. Is there any difference in environmental protection work before and after the pandemic?
Outdoor activities: Hiking and camping had become citizens’ go-to activities as they were forced to stay in the city. More people found their ways into nature, realizing the need to conserve our countryside and country parks. In the past year, CA has received much support from the public and corporations to carry out clean-ups in hiking and camping hotspots; sadly, not all outdoor lovers care about the environment, as we have seen all kinds of litter - masks, tissue paper, cigarette stubs, plastic bottles, tents - in the wild. With the epidemic behind us, we hope people will continue to visit and learn about our countryside, as we work with different sectors to preserve and raise awareness of its beauty and ecological value.
Disposable lifestyle: During the pandemic, we had used lots of masks and rapid test kits, and since we could not go out as much, food delivery and online shopping became prevalent in our everyday life. For hygiene and convenience reasons, a large amount of rubbish rarely seen in pre-COVID times was generated, while forcing us to compromise on waste reduction habits we have developed. Urging people to return to a green lifestyle is our top priority.
Environmental work in the post-COVID era can be approached in two ways: “healing” and “enhancement”. Healing refers to not only repairing and compensating for the impact on the environment, but also relieving people of stress and negative emotions, so as to foster a closer relationship between human and nature. Enhancement means increasing the resilience of both human and the planet in combating climate change and catastrophic events, thereby mitigating the effects of such things which are expected to happen more frequently. We are striving to achieve the above goals through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
Last but not least, I would like to thank all colleagues for their hard work and the Board of Directors for their support and guidance. In the post-pandemic “new normal” world, we will stay true to our principles while seeking betterment and change, so we might be ready for the opportunities and challenges in our 55th anniversary.
