Don't try to read the html version online the section titled "plan of action"  - just like government policy it doesn't exist.

Targets

As generally expected the government only focused on the three key issues (introduced by the Council for Sustainable development) the targets sets the bar tragically low, in brief the HKSAR government intentions are:

photograph: Acting CE Mr Donald Tsang presentation 24.05.2005

Renewable Energy

1. To organise more public education programmes on RE and sustainable energy consumption that links these issues to local and global sustainable development.
2. To aim to have between 1 and 2% of Hong Kong’s total electricity supply met by power generated from renewable sources by the year 2012, with this target being subject to regular review in the light of advances in technological solutions and emerging sustainability considerations.
3. To develop plans to promote energy efficiency and conservation as part of a sustainable energy policy.

Solid Waste Management

1. To reduce the amount of municipal solid waste generated in Hong Kong by 1% per annum up to the year 2014, based on 2003 levels.
2. To increase the recovery rate of municipal solid waste to 45% by 2009 and 50% by 2014.
3. To reduce the total municipal solid waste disposed of in landfills to less than 25% by 2014.

photograph: Mr Bosco Fung & Dr Sarah Liao presentation 24.05.2005

Urban Space Planning

1. To regenerate older urban districts by taking full account of the need for economic viability whilst emphasising the importance of open space provision and retaining local socio-cultural characteristics and heritage buildings.
2. To clarify the relative social, economic and environmental considerations that would need to be addressed in further developing the New Territories, so that stakeholders can regularly give informed views on the merits of development options.
3. To maintain and to review on a regular basis guidelines governing sustainable urban planning and design, with special regard to issues such as buildings affecting view corridors or restricting air flow and the need to proceed in a manner consistent with the overall sustainable development strategy for Hong Kong.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that government stated that this first strategy document is only the first step.

Opinion

Disappointment is a gross under-statement.

After six years of delay the Government has completely and utterly failed to grasp Sustainable Development or reflect the views it solicited during the consultation process.

I personally attended many of the forums, and events admittedly not all, and have read the consultation response summary. On balance the government has not listened, not met the public demand - another nail in the coffin for the consultation process.

We have glaciers in retreat, perhaps never to return, and news that even if the industrial nations achieve their GHG emissions limit, set out at Kyoto, will not now stem the tide of global warming.

Tackling Sustainable Development in a piecemeal manner should have been expected from the structure of the consultation document, it will achieve very little.

And who picked a target set at 1% - a very safe indeed. Considering the margin of error in any government statistic, the targets will be surpassed before lunch!

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