Just came across this blog post at CNN where they ask whether or Hong Kong is eco-trendy or eco-serious?, where Miranda Leitsinger dives into several of the new regulations that have recently gone into effect:

Tuesday marked the beginning of the environmental levy on plastic bags. For every plastic bag a customer takes at certain retail outlets, they will be charged 50 Hong Kong cents (US$0.06). Green signs have sprouted up at these outlets to inform shoppers of the new fee.

The previous week, a full ban on indoor smoking in public places came into effect. Bars, nightclubs, massage businesses and mahjong-tin kau (Chinese dominoes) premises that had earlier received an extended deferment of the ban are now forced to implement it.

And in late June, more than 3,500 buildings and groups in the southern Chinese enclave turned out the lights on a skyline known around the world for its nighttime illumination.

Inviting readers to write their thoughts on the recent measures, my initial thoughts are that all of the above are excellent steps, and I hope HK follows through on all of them over the longer term.

However, I find it off that the biggest environmental white elephant has been left to stand in the room. That the fact you can hang meat in most HK buildings (malls in particular).HK’s average must be far lower than the 21 degrees we find in Shanghai, and that is in iteself a huge opportunity to curb energy!