Mr CHAN Kin-por enquired whether the Administration had any plan to extend CPPP after March 2015 and if so, whether it would review the need for continuation of CPPP on a longer term basis to ensure sustainability of the environmental benefits achieved. As any reduction in government subsidy might dampen investment by operators of Hong Kong-owned factories in adopting CP technologies and practices, he enquired if the Administration had assessed the number of factories that might discontinue with CP improvement measures in case funding support was no longer provided. He further stated that as funding could not be provided on a permanent basis and given that the adoption of CP technologies and practices had resulted in reduction in emissions as well as savings in both energy and production costs, efforts should be made to encourage participating factories to implement CP technologies and practices at their own costs.
Under Secretary for the Environment responded that there was a need to extend CPPP on account of its environmental benefits and positive feedback received from the trades. While the levels of subsidy provided under CPPP were very modest as compared to the total investment made by participating factories in adopting CP technologies and practices, it had helped foster the development of a sustainable culture of CP in the PRD region, as well as bringing about more cooperative efforts to reduce emissions in the region. As regards the future of CPPP, USEN said that the Administration would consider different options in promoting cleaner production in the region and she hoped to come up with a proposal in 2014.