Hong Kong and Guangdong advance cleaner production cooperation
The Guangdong-Hong Kong Cleaner Production Partnership held its 13th meeting on 27 October 2026, reviewing progress and approving the 2027 work plan. Both sides will support high-energy, high-pollution and high-water-use industries in adopting cleaner technologies and audits to cut emissions and imp
The 13th meeting of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cleaner Production Cooperation Task Force was held on 27 October 2026, co-chaired by Hong Kong Deputy Secretary for Environment and Ecology Huang Shuxian and Guangdong Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Information Technology Chen Lei. The two sides reviewed progress in 2026 and approved the work plan for 2027.
Under next year's plan, both sides will continue to support high-energy, high-pollution and high-water-use industries in implementing cleaner production, including encouraging trials of new cleaner production technologies and conducting cleaner production audits. The aim is to achieve energy saving, emissions reduction, lower resource consumption and carbon cuts, thereby improving environmental quality in the region and accelerating the green transformation of enterprises. Both sides will also continue promotional activities to publicise the results of cleaner production and share application experience among industries.
Hong Kong representatives came from the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department, the Trade and Industry Department, the Innovation and Technology Bureau and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong. Guangdong representatives came from the Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Development and Reform Commission, the Ecology and Environment Department and the Science and Technology Department.
After the task force meeting, the 2026 award ceremony for the Partnership Label Scheme was held to recognise enterprises that have actively implemented cleaner production. This year, 168 Hong Kong-invested enterprises received awards, including 56 Hong Kong-invested manufacturers that received the Outstanding Partnership Label, 108 that received the Partnership Label, one buyer and three environmental technology service providers.
The Environmental Protection Department and Guangdong's Department of Industry and Information Technology have run the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme since 2008, assisting and encouraging Hong Kong-invested factories in Guangdong to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices to reduce pollutant emissions. The programme has funded more than 4,300 projects, achieving significant environmental improvements. The two sides jointly launched the Label Scheme in 2009 to recognise the efforts and results of Hong Kong-invested enterprises in implementing cleaner production.
In addition, Hong Kong Secretary for Environment and Ecology Xie Zhanhuan and Guangdong Department of Industry and Information Technology Director Zeng Jinze signed the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cleaner Production Cooperation Agreement (Revised Agreement) earlier this month, further strengthening exchanges and cooperation on cleaner production, promoting the application of new technologies and encouraging enterprises to incorporate more green elements in production processes, in line with the national high-quality development strategy.