Hong Kong Housing Society unites estate residents to go green with new ESG programme

The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) has unveiled a Community ESG Programme from July to December this year to raise public awareness and enhance community involvement in “Environmental, Social and Governance” (ESG). 

The programme aims to encourage 30,000 households in HKHS’s 20 rental estates to take part in contributing to the sustainable development and carbon neutralilty vision of Hong Kong, while at the same time promoting community-based green economy.

Under the initiative, the participants’ actions to reduce carbon emission will be quantified and digitised for earning various rewards offered by more than 500 participating shops and restaurants, via the newly developed mobile app “Zero2”.

A series of roadshows were conducted across HKHS’s rental estates and offices in June to promote the campaign with successful registration of over 10,000 participants within a month. To participate in the programme, residents can simply download the “Zero2” mobile app and join the “Hong Kong Housing Society” Community therein to carry out carbon reduction missions in four areas — “Clothing, Food, Living and Walking”. 

Participants can finish the mission such as recycling used clothes, avoiding single-use cutlery and containers and reducing water, electricity and gas consumption. Coins can be gained for every completed mission and the coins can be redeemed for various discounts. The resident with the highest accumulated carbon dioxide reduction will win a prize.

Commenting on the initiative, Walter Chan, chairman of HKHS, said, “In the face of global climate change and the long-term development needs of society, there is a pressing need to promote sustainable development. Through this programme, we hope to bring together the community and encourage the residents and staff of HKHS to develop green and healthy living habits in their daily life of ‘clothing, food, living and walking.”

Meanwhile, Lam Ching Choi, the chairman of the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, said, “In Hong Kong, achieving sustainability requires not only long-term decarbonisation strategies from the government but also proactive participation by citizens in adopting low-carbon lifestyles.”

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