Organised by World Green Organisation and Proudly Presented by MTR Corporation – Green WALK Hong Kong 2024

Survey reveals changes in travel habits of Hong Kong citizens

Let’s adopt a low-carbon lifestyle by walking every day

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – January 25, 2024 – The “Green WALK Hong Kong 2024” campaign organized by the World Green Organization (“WGO”) is back this year with the full support of MTR Corporation. With the theme “Promoting a Walkable City and Combating Climate Change”, this year’s event is honored to have Miss Grace Chan, Miss Hong Kong 2013, as the ambassador of Green WALK Hong Kong 2024, at the alongside MTR green ambassador, Green T. Baby, to organize the City Orienteering Competition. This event aims to raise awareness of climate change among Hong Kong residents and encourage the use of low-carbon transport, promoting an energy-efficient and low-carbon lifestyle, with the support of our media partner Yahoo. HK. According to the latest walking habits survey conducted by the Green World Organization, Hong Kongers’ environmental awareness has increased in recent years and they are willing to actively change their daily habits. The report reveals that the number of citizens who walk for 30 minutes or more every day has reached 10%. Although the number of active walkers is still in the minority, this indicates a growing awareness among Hong Kong citizens about their travel habits and a preference for walking as an environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

MTR Corporation is delighted to support this year’s edition of Green WALK Hong Kong. We are committed to providing low-carbon public transport and building sustainable communities. While providing safe and reliable travel experiences, the Company also actively integrates green elements into its operations and leverages its stations and properties to encourage an eco-friendly lifestyle. On the occasion of the 45^th anniversary this year, Green T Baby will provide support to promote the event to show our commitment to traveling the green journey with the community.

Miss Grace Chan, Ambassador of Green WALK, said: “I am honored to be the ambassador of Green WALK Hong Kong 2024. I take the MTR or walk as much as possible, hoping to reduce my carbon footprint and to contribute to the protection of the environment. very significant as it not only raises awareness of climate issues among more people in Hong Kong, but also encourages the adoption of a green and low-carbon lifestyle.

Green WALK orienteering competition in Hong Kong

The World Green Organization is dedicated to promoting the development of green cities. Building on past successes, the Green WALK urban orienteering competition will take place at the Central Harbourfront in March this year. The competition is divided into a “Challenge Race” and a “Fun Walk”. Participating teams will have to plan their own routes and pass checkpoints along the central port to Wan Chai within the time limit in order to compete for the championship. This year’s participant kit is also attractive, as it includes a Green T Baby bonus set, consisting of a drawstring bag, water bottle, cooling towel and personal bib. Participants who successfully complete the orienteering course will also receive an electronic certificate of completion. Applications for the Green WALK Hong Kong City orienteering competition will begin on January 24, 2024 and close on March 1, 2024. For details, please refer to the appendix and visit the following website to register:
greenwalkhongkong.com.

Walking Habits Survey Results

The unprecedented heavy rains experienced by Hong Kong in September last year raised public awareness of climate change. Saving energy and reducing carbon emissions are the most effective ways to combat climate change. To better understand Hong Kong citizens’ walking habits and their views on climate change, WGO conducted a survey in December last year among 400 participants via online and offline questionnaires. The results indicate that the proportion of citizens who take daily walks of 30 minutes or more has reached 10%, an increase of 2.2 percentage points compared to 7.8% in 2022. Although there has been an improvement, the percentage remains relatively low. In contrast, nearly 30% of respondents reported walking at least 30 minutes just one to two days a week, and about 8% reported not walking 30 minutes on any given day during a week. These figures reflect the insufficient time Hong Kong citizens spend walking, indicating an unfavorable situation.

After the pandemic, 19.5% of respondents said they increased their walking compared to before. However, 57% of respondents indicated that the proportion of walking to the use of transport services remains unchanged. More than 51% of respondents choose to use transportation services due to time constraints or a desire to save time. About 20% of respondents opt to travel in extreme weather conditions, such as very hot or very cold weather or rain. It is encouraging, however, that more than 56.3% of respondents indicated that rail is their most frequently used mode of transportation. Railways have the lowest per capita carbon emissions among public transport services, while rail energy consumption accounts for only 3.4% of the total energy consumption of the transport sector in Hong Kong. Kong.

Global warming is a collective responsibility that we all share. Faced with extreme weather conditions, 92% of respondents say they support adopting a low-carbon lifestyle and are willing to change their daily habits to mitigate climate change. Around 72% of respondents said they would use public transport more, while around 40% would reduce their electricity consumption and 34% would minimize their paper consumption by using digital alternatives to reduce carbon emissions. However, the survey also found that 5.5% of respondents have never heard of low-carbon living and are unfamiliar with the concept of reducing carbon emissions.

Green World Organization CEO Dr. William Yu said: “After facing the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather conditions around the world, environmental awareness has increased continuously. People are reducing the use of single-use plastics and preferring public transportation to private vehicles. Additionally, businesses are more positive about reducing carbon emissions, striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner. However, the path to reducing carbon emissions remains long and difficult. Protecting the Earth and mitigating global warming requires a cross-sectoral approach. and interdisciplinary collaboration between policy and business leaders, scientists, environmental experts and the general public. We understand that extreme weather conditions resulting in high temperatures may lead to increased use of air conditioning and a reluctance to walk, but this will only form a “vicious cycle. WGO aims to encourage citizens to take a few extra steps to the planet and cultivate low-carbon lifestyle habits through the Green WALK Hong Kong, thereby realizing the vision of sustainable development in Hong Kong.”

http://www.thewgo.org/website/

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