Businesses Urged To Back Push For Greener Energy

The Secretary for the Environment, Wong Kam-sing, said on Saturday that he hopes more businesses, or members of the public, will consider buying renewable energy certificates, which will be sold by the city's two power companies.

The certificates allow businesses to buy power generated from renewable sources, to offset their carbon emissions or meet corporate social responsibility targets.

This would also the city's power companies to offset the costs of a new "feed-in tariff" mechanism, under which the public and businesses could sell the excess energy they produce from their own solar panels and wind turbines back into the power grid.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, Wong said the certificates would be set at an attractive price, and they would make reference to how prices are set overseas.

He said a more attractive price would encourage more consumers to purchase the certificates and support the "low-carbon transformation".

"But certainly, we have to – through the two power companies – do more publicity, talk to corporates and even individuals, so more people can buy in," he said.