Hong Kong in net-zero race ‘behind’ smart energy insider

DOUGLAS, Isle of Man, July 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — United Renewables’ Chris Caldwell talks about smart building technologies and energy efficiency with Kritika Kumar, energy insider and contributor at Hong Kong-based ecotech firm Smart Energy Connect.

“I would say we’re a bit behind compared to London or other regions,” Kumar said during her appearance at the Discussions on climate Podcast Today, which hosts London Business School alumni who want to drive better communication on climate change. Hong Kong’s decarbonization targets “were not very ambitious when they were set,” she said, and as a result, renewable energy now accounts for just 0.1% of the city’s energy mix.

2050 is far away

Even after last year’s update of the Climate Protection Plan 2050, which calls for net-zero by mid-century, renewables were only committed to reaching 7-10% by 2035, noted Chris Caldwell. “They try to increase the share of renewable energy to 70, 80, 85% and then fill in the gaps.”

Other factors that have caused the East Asian city-state to lag behind the rest of the developed world include:

– Lack of physical space, with Hong Kong island ranking 4th^th in global population density

– Aging building stock with high energy demand for heating and cooling, in part due to Hong Kong’s volatile subtropical climate and high humidity

– Minimal EV charging networks with just one charger for five vehicles, despite a government mandate to phase out internal combustion engines by 2035

Technology will “enable” success, but it will not be homemade

While tighter targets and more investment are needed to get decarbonization on the agenda, Kumar also highlighted private sector innovation as a source of hope for reaching net zero. Technology…