Green Technology and Overview of Green Technology Development in Hong Kong

 

There was no specific note on the emergence of green technology, but it was believed to gain public attention way back in the end of 1990s resulted by the controversial Silent Spring book wrote by the popular marine biologist, Rachel Carson. And since then, the global movements of environmental protection and conservation have led to the development of a series of many eco-sustainable policies such as Agenda 21 (Sustainable Development) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that incorporate various approaches like green economy, green technology and many more.

 

The terminology of green technology is also sometimes referred as environmental technology and clean technology. Typically, green technology involved the application of one and/or more fields of environmental sciences, green chemistry and environmental engineering to provide sustainable solutions in creating a new invention in minimizing the negative impacts towards human and the Mother Nature.

On the other hand, the rapid economic development over the past decades in both mainland China and Hong Kong has indirectly contributed to a rise of many environmental challenges in the country. These environmental challenges include the critical deterioration of air and water quality that led to severe environmental damage in the urban and industrial areas of Hong Kong.

And among the major cause of drawbacks are the rampant regulations and insufficient technologies to tackle and reduce various forms of pollution created from both households and industries in the city of Hong Kong. As a result of that, since the early 2000s the Hong Kong SAR government has established the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) that enables the progressive development of future science and technology in order to overcome the environmental problems in the society.

The HKSTPC supported various research and development facilities, infrastructure and programs including the establishment of Hong Kong Science Park, which attracts a myriad group of individuals, organizations and companies to nurture new ideas, innovate and grow in the field of green technology businesses in Hong Kong. It has created many new business opportunities for both local and international companies in a numerous field of green labels and auditing energy efficiency waste disposal and recycling alternative raw materials electric vehicles green electronics and many more. And since then, the need for green technology solutions has never been greater where Hong Kong SAR government continuously emphasizes the sustainable growth of environmental protection in the city.

Green Technology Consortium (GTC)

Green Technology Consortium (GTC) is a non-profitable and non-governmental organization that formally established in Hong Kong SAR of the People?s Republic of China on the 5^th June 2012 in conjunction with the annual World Environment Day.

 

GTC aims to promote sustainable green technology transfer as well as to enhance environmental education awareness to the public. The vision of the organization is to promote green technology to the community in order to protect the environment and set its mission to promote environmental education by incorporating sustainable green technology to the public community in Hong Kong.

 

And among a few of the GTC goals are included as of the following:

 

a.       Provide better opportunities to all green technology practitioners

b.      Provide platforms to access, share, dissemination the application and knowledge of the latest environmental technology

c.       Promote and strengthen the good relations among local government, relevant departments and/or agencies that demonstrate sustainable green technologies and

d.      Promote, organize and participate in all kinds of green technology activities.

 

 

Besides, GTC also has its own logo that consists of three different colors of leaf pieces combine to form the basic shape of a plant which symbolizes the birth and the growth of photosynthesis process in the plants.

 

Indeed, the GTC logo also simply highlights all of the core values ​​of the organization where the yellow represents the land and the sun while the blue represents the clean water and blue sky as well as the technology and human conscience and finally the green color represents the healthy growth of nature in the organization.

And generally, GTC provides many types of services which include the following:-

 

a)      Green Education 

GTC occasionally carries out environmental education events, green expos and exhibitions, technical seminars/lectures on the topic which are related to environmental conservation of technology.

 

b)      Environmental Training and Consultation

GTC perform carbon emissions assessment, environmental auditing, assisting for eco-certification and other green consulting services.

 

c)      Sustainable Environmental Improvement Program

GTC offers various eco-friendly activities ranging from urban organic farming, LED lighting, food and e-waste recycling, electric car and many more.

 

d)     Green Technology Project Management

GTC also provides the latest environmental friendly, cost-effective and sustainable green technology solutions to corporations/industries.

 

**I wish to share a short note about Green Technology Consortium (GTC) which is an environmental organization that I have visited and worked for during the last April and May 2014 in Hong Kong.