SCMP: A bigger push for battery-powered lorries and taxis is needed for Hong Kong to cut emissions more quickly as part of its wider carbon-reduction drive, a policy think tank has said.

In a report released on Friday reviewing the city’s progress towards achieving its climate goals, Civic Exchange also called for ending new registrations of fuel-powered cars in 2030, five years sooner than the government plans.

The think tank stressed the importance of Hong Kong catching up with the country’s environmental goals to ensure carbon emissions peaked before 2030 and the city achieved carbon neutrality before 2060.

According to a plan released by the government in 2021, the city aims to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and meet an interim target of cutting emissions by 50 per cent from 2005’s level before 2035.

Tsang Wing, assistant manager at Civic Exchange, said the government’s blueprint would only ensure emission reductions through to 2035. She said the government must develop strategies now to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and contribute towards national green goals.

“It is crucial to ensure a strengthened carbon reduction road map is ready by 2026 to encapsulate aggressive yet achievable targets,” she said.

Lawrence Iu Chun-yip, the think tank’s executive director, said that while the government’s blueprint made Hong Kong one of the leading Asian cities committing to a carbon neutrality goal before 2050, a clear five-year pathway for various sectors was needed.

The report also noted Hong Kong had a high rate of ownership of private electric vehicles, but the prevalence of battery-powered trucks lagged behind.

“Expanding electrification helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels,” the report said. “Hong Kong has achieved a high rate of electrification for private vehicles, with seven out of 10 new private vehicles being electric in 2024.

“The government should focus on electrifying commercial vehicles, which accounted for 7.9 per cent of Hong Kong’s total [greenhouse gas] emissions in 2019.”

Reducing the carbon footprint of minibuses and taxis should also be a priority, the group said.

“Taxi average carbon emissions is 40 tonnes per year and account for 17 per cent of carbon monoxide emissions in Hong Kong,” the report said. “The costs of air pollution and carbon emissions create a strong rationale for accelerating the pace of electrification.

“Besides the existing 3,000 taxis that are more than 12 years old, the government should also encourage taxi fleet licence awardees to increase the e-taxi [proportion] to 100 per cent in the next round tender.”

Civic Exchange also called on the government to end the new registration of fuel-powered private cars in 2030 instead of 2035 to accelerate decarbonisation and improve air quality and public health.

The think tank also said that waste-to-energy incineration should be included in the road map released in 2021, adding to its goals of net-zero electricity generation, energy efficient buildings, green transport and waste reduction.

Originally published on SCMP on 14 March 2025.