Efforts to green supply chains aim to balance trade and climate goals

HK has been implementing various measures to support sustainable supply chains.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau said strengthening sustainable supply chains should never be a trade-off between sustainability and trade, but rather a synergy between the two.

Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting in South Korea, Yau said supply chains drive the global economy but are also highly vulnerable to external shocks.

“Enabling initiatives have been rolled out to equip micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with the means to manage their environmental footprint and encourage market participants to improve sustainable business practices," Yau said.

He also outlined that Hong Kong has been implementing various measures to support sustainable supply chains, including the Climate Action Plan 2050 and a roadmap for sustainability disclosure.

"Funding schemes and capacity-building programmes have also been put in place to encourage the adoption of digital technologies by MSMEs to facilitate the digital transformation of supply chains,” he added.