Strategic Environmental Assessment Where does Hong Kong stand

Strategic Environmental Assessment: Where does Hong Kong stand? LAM Kin Che Chairman, Advisory Council on the Environment Head, Department of Geography and Resource Management, CUHK Workshop on Strategic Environmental Assessment 18 June 2005

The Whole World is on SEA • • • EU directive (2001) China EIA Law (2002) World Bank UNEP IAIA Prague SEA Workshop

The Whole World is on SEA • SEA is good and necessary • Solution to limitations of project based EIAs • Effective, relevant and accountable • Towards sustainability

Hong Kong Can’t Do Without SEA • • Hong Kong 2030 Planning Study Lantau Concept Plan Air quality in PRD HK has a long way to go!

Challenges & Opportunities • Aspiration for quality of life • Builds on experiences • • Territorial Development Strategy Review 3 rd Comprehensive Transport Study 2 nd Railway Development Study World Bank Training Workshop in China • Mainland China – SEA is embedded in EIA Law 2002

Need for SEA in Hong Kong • To address unresolved environmental issues • Regional problems • Cross sectoral issues

(Ming Pao, 26 Jan 2004)

Need of SEA for Hong Kong • To address unresolved environmental issues • Regional problems • Cross sectoral issues • Changing role of HK in PRD • Manufacturing base or service centre • Tourism and eco-tourism • World City – global citizen

Expectations of the EA Process Needs Alignment Strategy Policy Plan Project Alternatives Cost-benefit analysis Site selection Project Design Participation Consensus Conflict resolution Planning Consultation Technical Yes-No Decision Mitigation Justification Project Appraisal Sustainability

Need for SEA in Hong Kong • Addressing limitations of project EIA • Cumulative impacts • Comprehensive view of developments • Development options and alternatives • Towards sustainability, better governance and more coherent policies

Hurdles and Constraints • Institution Building • Transboundary collaboration • Cross-sectoral: Bureaux and Secretaries • Greater public participation and transparency • Ownership • Stakeholders to buy in • Capacity Building • • • Practitioners Public Methodology SEA Follow-up QA/QC

Hurdles and Constraints • Public Participation / Empowerment Consultative • Public engagement strategy • • Early Reach out to all sectors Enable the public Make the public your “free consultants” Participative

Hurdles and Constraints • Transparency • Sustainability paragraph in EXCO papers The CASET • sustainability assessment should be conducted at the early planning stage of a proposal. It should help scope out cross-sectoral issues and • Assumptions sensitive areas that require special attention or joint departmental examination at an early stage. It should also facilitate the relevant • Clarification of to resolve the issues through a concerted Bureaux or Departmentsvalues (hidden) and trade-offs effort. • How much the public is informed of the advice With effect from April 2002, include in their submissions to the Executive Council (Ex. Co) and/or the and sustainability from the environmental Chief Secretary's Committee (now the Policy Committee) the sustainability assessment findings or results of perspectives? their proposals. Extracted fron SDU webpage

The Weakest Link : Buying-in • Resistance • • Political complexity Fear of power sharing Difference mode of governance “Bad” experience of public consultation

Ideology of Governance Mainstream of Environmental Management Upstream of Environmental Management Environment Sustainability Prevention Integrated Planning Government Public Participation

The Weakest Link : Buying-in • How to win their support? • Address some “bad” public participation experience • Let them see the positive side • Early buy-in => less resistance and greater certainty in project planning • Good for the society, good for the government

Conclusion • The whole world is on SEA • There is a strong case for SEA in HK • Hong Kong has considerable experience • We still have a long way to go • Institution building, capacity building, public engagement, increasing transparency • Key stakeholders must buy in • We cannot afford not to do SEA