Hong Kong seminar promotes green economy and tech innovation
The Environmental Protection Department and industry partners held a seminar on 28 October 2026, drawing over 300 officials, academics and professionals to discuss green transformation, national security and carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and industry partners jointly held a seminar on 28 October 2026, as part of the third day of the 21st International Exhibition on Environmental Protection. The event attracted more than 300 representatives, including government officials, environmental industry leaders, academics and professionals, to exchange views on environmental protection, high-quality green development, technology application and community well-being.
The seminar adopted a cross-sector collaboration and integrated agenda design, aligning with Hong Kong's first five-year plan for economic and social development (2026-2030) and the 2026 policy address of the Chief Executive. Themes including national security, green finance, technology innovation and community welfare were woven into the full-day programme.
EPD Director Dr Tsui Kwok-kuen delivered the opening address. He said safeguarding national security was the foundation of social stability and environmental progress, and the department was actively promoting national security awareness at the district level, targeting younger generations and environmental professionals. Hong Kong, under the 'one country, two systems' framework, was building itself into a green technology demonstration base and international green hub, he added.
Hong Kong Institute of Environmental Professionals (HKIE) President Cheung Chun-ming noted that after the first successful seminar last year, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers had joined as a co-organiser, alongside the EPD's 'Belt and Road' Sustainable Green Development Training Centre. Through a mutual recognition agreement, environmental professionals and engineers had broken traditional barriers, creating a new interdisciplinary paradigm to accelerate Hong Kong's carbon neutrality goal.
Hong Kong Institution of Engineers President Chan Fan said the engineering sector was driving green economic growth through renewable energy, green buildings, smart infrastructure, sustainable transport and environmental technology. Artificial intelligence, smart cities and advanced energy storage were helping speed up low-carbon transformation and improve quality of life. Green economy was a foundation for innovation, investment and sustainable growth, and Hong Kong's financial, engineering and professional services strengths could support green industry development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The seminar also announced that the EPD and the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences had signed a cooperation arrangement during the exhibition to build a 'Beautiful China' pilot area in the Greater Bay Area and promote 'Belt and Road' green cooperation, including ecological research exchanges and professional training.
Speakers included Professor Avinash Persaud, special adviser on climate change to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank; Jiang Shao-jin on the national security mission of environmental professionals; and Deng Manzhu, Asia-Pacific director of the Global Capacity Building Alliance, on the role of natural ecosystems in net-zero transition. Panel discussions covered green internet of things and air quality, smart recycling, green finance, nature-based solutions and development opportunities in the Northern New Territories.
