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About Energy Saving Charter & 4Ts Charter Schemes



Climate Change is a cross-sector, cross-domain subject which has far reaching socio-economic and cultural impacts across the globe. As a member of the global village, Hong Kong, China needs to respond positively and ready itself for making greater effort to combat climate change. The Paris Agreement call for global action to keep global average temperature increase to well below 2°C relative to pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. The Paris Agreement came into force on 4 November 2016 and is applicable to Hong Kong, China. In this context, the Government has promulgated Hong Kong, China's Climate Action Plan 2030+ in January 2017 which set the new target to reduce the carbon intensity in Hong Kong, China from the 2005 level by 65% to 70% by 2030.

Energy Saving Charter

Promoting energy efficiency and energy saving is one of the most critical means for Hong Kong, China to continuously reduce carbon emissions. Since 2012, we have been launching the Energy Saving Charter to encourage business and community organizations to save energy.

For the Energy Saving Charter 2017, over 3,300 premises signed up to the Charter. This year, while appealing for the continuous support from shopping malls, office/ commercial/ industrial buildings, residential buildings/ housing estates, offices, shops/ restaurants/ supermarkets, non-governmental organizations/ community facilities, kindergartens/ primary schools/ secondary education institutions, hotels, hospitals for joining the Charter. We also continue to welcome other sectors that not mentioned from above to join the Charter. Please visit the participants pages for details.

We would appreciate your support in the following respects for Energy Saving Charter 2018 with the scope:-

  1. to maintain an average indoor temperature between 24-26°C during the summer months of June to September in 2018 (Please click here and refer to details in Item (1) under Energy Saving Tips);
  2. to switch off electrical appliances and systems when not in use (Please click here and refer to details in Item (2) under Energy Saving Tips) and procure energy efficient electrical appliances (such as those with Grade 1 energy labels, fridge with door) and systems (Please click here and refer to details in Item (3) under Energy Saving Tips) from June 2018 to May 2019Íž and
  3. to engage staff/ students to adopt the above energy saving practices together. (Please click here and refer to details in Item (4) under Energy Saving Tips)

The "4Ts Charter"

As buildings account for some 90% of electricity consumption and over 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong, China, reducing energy consumption in buildings is one of the important measures to achieve the new carbon reduction target. The Government has established a partnership with major stakeholders in the built environment under the 4Ts framework, namely target, timeline, transparency and together, under which the 4Ts partners are encouraged to set their energy saving targets and timelines and to share their existing and planned energy saving measures.

We have already gathered the support of owners / managers of a number of commercial sector buildings and institutional buildings in Hong Kong, China, and would appreciate your support in the following respects for 4Ts Charter with the scope:-

  1. to set energy saving target with a timeline (Please click here and refer to details in Item (1) under 4Ts Tips);
  2. to ensure transparency to track energy saving result (Please click here and refer to details in Item (2) under 4Ts Tips); and
  3. to encourage inhabitants (including staff, students, occupants, tenants) to work together on the above energy saving target. (Please click here and refer to details in Item (3) under 4Ts Tips)

Please return us the completed reply slip or online sign up (Guidelines) if your organisation would like to join the Charter. Participants are required to submit relevant information upon requested (4Ts Information Collected Form).

Keeping Records for Inspection

Premises of participating organisations in Energy Saving Charter are encouraged to keep records on routine indoor air temperature measurements for future reference and review. We will carry out sample checking of indoor temperature for those premises participated in the Charter.

Whereas, premises of participating organisations in 4Ts Charter would be required to submit their energy saving targets with timelines and records track energy saving results upon requested by EMSD. (see 4Ts Information Collected Form)

If the premises was found failed to fulfill the above requirements, follow-up actions would be arranged with the participant for necessary improvements. We reserve the right to remove the concerned premises from the list of participants if the situation remains unchanged.

Why the Charter

Benefits of Joining the Charters