Business unites in being greener (hktdc.com)


	Children are leading an energy saving campaign launched in Hong Kong by Philips

	Gerhard Papst says companies consider "going green" to be a vital investment in their future

	Hong Kong's newly opened low energy ice rink is viewed as Asia's test case for AST technology

Hong Kong companies are finding ingenious ways to contribute to global environmental sustainability.

Across the city, and throughout the government, corporate and private sectors, people are uniting to "go green" through a range of innovative programmes.

Dutch company Royal Philips Electronics has chosen Hong Kong to roll out a pilot programme to replace conventional, energy-guzzling incandescent light globes with more efficient LED lighting. Under the programme, being launched in schools, children will lead an education campaign showing how subtle changes can make a difference.

Ravi Rajagopalan, General Manager of Lighting, Philips Electronics Hong Kong Ltd, said the campaign aimed to educate children – the future pillars of society - to be socially responsible, and inspire them to make a simple switch to a more energy efficient lifestyle.

"By participating in this campaign, students will learn to make a real difference to the world by saving energy, reducing CO2 emissions and combating global warming in a simple, easy and accessible way," he said.

Mr Rajagopalan added that there are presently about 11 million incandescent light bulbs in Hong Kong's homes. If all of them are replaced by energy efficient lighting, the energy savings would amount to HK$1.4 billion (US$180 million) per year. In the commercial sector, if all of the 2 million incandescent light bulbs and 14 million florescent tubes are replaced by new energy efficient lighting, then HK$1.2 billion (US$154 million) in energy costs would be saved annually.

Efficient ice

In another green initiative, Asia's first skating rink equipped with an energy-saving ice maker has opened in Hong Kong. The skating rink above Kowloon MTR station uses state-of-the-art technology which is expected to reduce energy consumption by 30 per cent.

Austrian company AST, which supplied the refrigeration for the rink, says demand for its low energy systems is huge in Europe, where 70 per cent of ice rinks use AST technology. General Manager Gerhard Papst expects that following the Hong Kong launch, many other cities in the region will follow suit. A second rink will open in December in Shenzhen, in the Chinese mainland, and two more will follow in China before the summer of 2008.

He said that as increasing energy costs and stricter environmental requirements have increasing impact over the next five years, more companies in the Asia Pacific will invest in having a "green label" on their operations.

"We at AST see the Hong Kong and Shenzhen projects as a starting point and test-case to roll out our technology and know how to the entire Asia-Pacific region," Mr Papst said.

Eat less rice

Property developer Sino Group is tackling the issue of food wastage, estimated to be as much as 3,200 tonnes per day in Hong Kong, or 1 million tonnes a year, by encouraging smaller portions. In conjunction with The Greeners (formerly the Green Student Council) Sino is offering a discount to diners who order less rice at 11 restaurants in its Olympian City shopping mall. The Less Rice Save $1 Day began in September and is offered on the first Wednesday of each month.

A survey conducted by The Greeners on consumption statistics revealed people waste about one-third of their rice on average. "Rice consumed here is imported, and a lot of energy is needed to transport it to Hong Kong. Wasting rice means wasting energy," said Angus Ho, Executive Director of The Greeners.

Hong Kong's American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) has joined the green brigade, issuing a brochure on "20 ways to save the planet". The initiative from AmCham's environmental committee contains practical ideas for everyday use, from using a dishwasher (which actually saves water) instead of hand washing, to unplugging devices that have standby mode.

Business Environment Council Chief Executive Andrew Thomson agrees the Hong Kong business community is changing fast with regard to environmental consciousness. Sustainable development managers, cleaner production and green procurement strategies were terms unheard of five years ago, he told the Standard, predicting that in the next five years firms will adopt more environmentally conscious measures.