行人天橋變身ESG太陽能發電站

由全球沸騰到ESG策略

多國去年七月整體氣溫都錄得歷史新高，而聯合國已警告：「全球沸騰」時代已經來臨，香港交易所亦於今年四月就優化環境、社會及管治(ESG)框架下的信息披露諮詢文件刊發總結，規定股票發行人於2025年1月1日或之後開始的財政年度強制披露公司業務對溫室氣體排放的影響。

筆者分析了特區政府天文台自1992年至2023年所記錄的一萬一千多日每日總日照數據，以五年移動平均數來比較，發現截至去年底的移動平均每日總日照時數比30年前上升了14%，而每日少於4小時日照的日數（包括陰天和雨天）更下跌了15%，啟示了人類可更積極以太陽能替代部份碳排放能源的消耗。

很多公私營建築物都已探討在其大廈天台安裝太陽能系統，奈何有些建築物在設計建築圖則時把天台定為隔火層，須作暫避火災或等待救援之用，所以令安裝方案多了考慮因素，而普羅市民亦未必能從「近距離」理解以太陽能替代方案減少碳排放的意思，但有一項民生設施若安裝太陽能設備卻相對快捷可行，而且令全港市民見證受惠，它就是行人天橋。

能讓全港市民見證受惠的ESG策略

根據目前港府開放數據，有一千零八十八條行人天橋由路政署管理維修，涉及總蓋頂面積超過四百六十萬平方呎，若以能安裝每塊1米乘1.65米每日收集4小時約1.188千瓦小時(kWh)的太陽能收集板的天橋(約九百二十條)蓋頂計算，能放置202,000塊，再乘以天文台全年達4小時日照數目的207天，即一年能獲取約49,700,000千瓦小時的電力，相當於14,000架電動車每架一年行走20,000公里、4,000戶家庭一年用電、200,000平方呎商業大廈或40,000平方呎數據中心的一年用電量。

到時候在天橋通道內可實時顯示戶外溫度、濕度、降雨量、天氣預報及當天已收集到的電力，天橋照明和通風系統所用之電力、有否剩餘電量等資訊，透過電力聯網甚至可把剩餘電力供其他當天日照效率較低的天橋使用，又或積穀防饑作為陰天雨天時的供電，甚至把剩餘電力賣給電力公司，補貼維修保養天橋設備的開支。當然，要把智能天橋實現，還要考慮天橋的結構載荷、施工方法、日照效率等問題，但由於行人天橋是香港人車分隔策略的可持續設施，數量日益增加，所以引入太陽能替代方案有助提升這種公共設施的整體效益。

Author: Mr. Tam Sin Hang - Certified ESG Planner, ICSD

Networking event and research presentation for ICSD’s members on 25 October 2024

Networking event and research presentation for ICSD’s members on 25 October 2024

We had more than 100 members and guests joining last Friday's network event cum research presentation. We were also pleased to have Miss Lisa Tse (2020 Miss Hong Kong winner) with us, and she offered our members a free trial of Whosify electronic name cards, which is an environmental friendly and efficient means to connect with people. Wine and Iberico ham were served to cheer up the guests on Friday evening.

Cocktail Reception_25 Oct 2024

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Unlocking the Socially Inclusive Potential of the Circular Economy

What is the Circular Economy?

According to the United Nations Development Programme, our current linear economic model is built on a "take-make-waste" pattern - extracting raw materials from nature, transforming them into products, and then discarding them as waste. This model places a heavy burden on the environment, exacerbating crises like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

In contrast, the goal of the circular economy is to minimize waste by using smarter design, extending product lifetimes, and enabling recycling and reuse. This not only helps address pollution issues, but also plays a critical role in tackling other complex challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.

It's worth noting that the circular economy is not just about the environmental and economic dimensions, but also requires attention to the social dimension. It involves addressing social inequality, promoting social wellbeing, and ensuring that everyone can benefit from the transition to a circular economy.

Employment Opportunities in the Circular Economy

The transition to a circular economy presents tremendous job creation opportunities. According to EU Commission forecasts in 2020, the EU could see around 700,000 new jobs by 2030 through this transition. Globally, the shift to a circular model could lead to a net addition of 7-8 million jobs.

These employment gains stem from the diverse skills required in a circular economy, ranging from low-skilled recycling and reuse jobs to medium- and high-skilled roles in remanufacturing and bio-refining. However, the transition will also lead to job losses in some traditional industries like construction and raw materials. Therefore, we need to provide retraining and redistribution for affected workers to adapt to the evolving job market.

For example, the "Repair Cafés" in the Netherlands are a grassroots initiative that promotes a culture of repair and reuse in local communities. They provide a space where people can get household items fixed for free. This not only helps divert waste from landfills and reduce demand for new products and raw materials, but also creates employment opportunities and increases social inclusivity and cohesion.

Inclusive and Participatory Circular Transition

Ensuring fairness and justice is crucial in the transition to a circular economy.

Inclusive Access: Ensuring that all socioeconomic groups can fairly access circular products, services, and benefits. This includes providing affordable repair, reuse, and recycling opportunities for low-income communities. We also need to design circular solutions that meet the diverse needs of users.

Inclusive Participation: It is critical to provide opportunities for marginalized groups to participate in circular economy initiatives. This includes offering skills development and job creation programs, supporting traditional workers' transition to green industries, ensuring the fair distribution of benefits and burdens of the circular transition, and supporting inclusive circular entrepreneurship and SMEs.

For example, comparing the informal waste management in Accra, Ghana and Porto Alegre, Brazil, although the contexts differ, waste pickers play a crucial role in implementing waste policies, demonstrating the deep connections between the formal and informal economic sectors.

Fully integrating social equity, inclusivity, and justice is key to unlocking the true transformative potential of the circular economy. This can create fairer access opportunities, provide dignified livelihoods for marginalized groups, empower displaced workers to take on green jobs, build community resilience, and foster cross-sectoral collaboration. By placing these social factors at the core of the circular transition, the transformation can benefit all segments of society, not just businesses and the environment.

Author: Mr. Lester Lam, Certified ESG Planner, ICSD