On 26 January, Civic Exchange made a budget submission to the Financial Secretary, the Hon. Paul Chan Mo-po, as part of the Public Consultation for the 2018-19 Budget. For our full submission on “Investing in a Healthy, Green-living Future for Hong Kong,” click here.
The submission presents how Government can best allocate its budget surplus, to meet its stated aims for protecting and enhancing Hong Kong’s environment. Maintaining a healthy environment is a vital part of any liveable and sustainable city, and requires financial support and policy backing. In our submission, we identified 10 main ways in which Government could achieve these aims:
1. Allocate a higher portion of Government revenue, surplus and reserves to enhance Hong Kong’s living environment.
2. Combat climate change through carbon levy and climate finance.
3. Provide the framework for Hong Kong as a green and sustainable finance hub.
4. Encourage water conservation.
5. Combat air pollution from power plants, ships and vehicles, and reduce emissions and exposure.
6. Facilitate smart mobility and clean transportation.
7. Facilitate better urban planning in the areas of public open space and walkability.
8. Cut waste at source, facilitate recycling and promote a circular economy.
9. Plough back increased fines and tariffs to finance green incentives.
10. Improve communication spending to advance civic education.
