CARE2022 Hong Kong Conference

5 a deeper understanding of risk assessments and accident prevention plans relevant to these major risks in Hong Kong. b) Built environment, which could be hosted by an appropriate institution for the property development and management sector together with the financial services sector to exchange views on what it takes for them to meet the climate transition for new and existing buildings, as well as cityscape, together with relevant Bureaux and Departments, and how largescale plans could be financed. C. Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau may wish to consider the importance of Green-ClimateTech in light of the local, national and global attention to achieving the climate transition (see Chapter 6 on the broader integration of Green-Climate-Prop-FinTech). V: Based on Workshop B on Emergencies, Security, Health, Water, Heat Stress, and Regional Collaboration Observations 1. Measures to tackle one issue may conflict with another. For example, moving car parks underground save space but for high-risk properties along the coast, it may increase the risk of inundation due to storm surges. 2. Institutions operating critical infrastructures (energy, airport) consider the worst-case scenarios in their climate projections for adaptation and resilience planning, such as very high GHG emissions, high temperature of 45ºC, and up to ~2.5 m sea level rise by 2100. Other decision-makers adopt intermediate GHG emissions scenarios for their planning of less critical infrastructures and facilities. 3. Companies and users in different sectors of activities have varying circumstances with respect to adaptation and resilience, and assess their risks based on different parameters and probabilities, including the effectiveness and costs involved. 4. The entire Pearl River Delta is a flood-prone area. Extreme weather events could disrupt regional transport networks and supply chains. Droughts, such as in 1963, would have regional impact on water resources. 5. Hong Kong people’s awareness and preparedness for disasters is relatively low (~25%) according to a Hong Kong Red Cross survey in 2021. With respect to electricity supply, end-to-end resilience will require actions on the part of users. 6. More data and research are needed to identify different types of risks and the high risk locations, the vulnerable groups affected, the range of intervention measures, better early warning strategies and what the public could do for self-help. 7. In addition to urban planning, green building designs can contribute to ‘Cooling Hong Kong’ as buildings are a major source of urban heat especially in high-density districts. Recommendations A. Government Bureaux and Departments and academia can collaborate to identify the data and knowledge gaps needed on the various climate risks, including heat (a neglected focus), with the aim of filling those gaps to enable the authorities to set evidence-based policies, including unknown tertiary climate risks in Hong Kong but have happened elsewhere. B. The Government, public utilities, NGOs, and the private sector should collaborate to intensify public understanding of risks and be prepared to play clearly articulated roles in emergency action plans. Greater attention should be paid to identifying vulnerable groups, including occupants in sub-standard accommodation. C. Codes of practices, guidelines and regulatory requirements need to be reviewed holistically and upgraded for both climate mitigation and adaptation, and this is especially critical for development in low-lying ground and along the coastline, as well as buildings. Observations and Recommendations

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