Green WALK Hong Kong and Walking Habit Survey Results Press Conference
Survey Finds Changes in Travel Habits Among Hong Kong Citizens
Let’s Adopt a Low-carbon Lifestyle by Walking Every Day
HONG KONG SAR 25 January 2024 – The “Green WALK Hong Kong 2024” campaign organised by World Green Organisation (“WGO”) has returned, this year with the full support of MTR Corporation. With the theme of “Promote Walkable City and Combat Climate Change”, this year’s event has the honour of having Miss Grace Chan, Miss Hong Kong 2013, as the ambassador for Green WALK Hong Kong 2024, alongside the MTR’s Green Ambassador, Green T Baby, to organise the City Orienteering Competition. This event aims to raise awareness among Hong Kong residents about climate change and encourage the use of low-carbon transportation, 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 World Green Organisation, Hong Kong people’s environmental awareness has been increasing 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 a minority, it indicates a growing awareness among Hong Kong citizens regarding 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 dedicated to providing low-carbon modes of public transportation and building sustainable communities. While providing safe and reliable travel experiences, the Corporation also actively incorporates green elements in its operations and leverages its stations and properties to encourage a green lifestyle. On the occasion of the Corporation’s 45th anniversary this year, Green T Baby will lend its support to promote the event to show our commitment in walking the green journey together with the community.
Miss Grace Chan, the ambassador of Green WALK, said, “I am honoured to be the ambassador for Green WALK Hong Kong 2024. I take MTR or walk whenever possible, hoping to reduce my carbon footprint and contribute to environmental protection. This campaign is highly meaningful as it not only raises awareness among more people in Hong Kong about climate issues but also encourages the adoption of a low-carbon, green lifestyle.”
Green WALK Hong Kong City Orienteering Competition
The World Green Organisation is dedicated to promoting the development of green cities. Building upon past successes, the Green WALK City Orienteering Competition will be held at the Central Harbourfront in March this year. The competition is divided into a “Challenge Race” and a “Fun Walk”. Participating teams will be required to plan their own routes and complete the checkpoints along the Central to Wan Chai Harbourfront within the designated time limit in order to compete for the championship. This year’s participant kit is also appealing, as it includes a set of Green T Baby premiums, consisting of a drawstring bag, a water bottle, a cooling towel, and a personal bib. Participants who successfully complete the orienteering competition will also receive an electronic certificate of completion. Applications for the Green WALK Hong Kong City Orienteering Competition commence on 24th January 2024 and will conclude on 1st March, 2024. For more details, please refer to the appendix, and visit the following website for registration: greenwalkhongkong.com.
Walking Habit Survey Results
The unprecedented heavy rainfall that Hong Kong experienced in September last year has raised public awareness about climate change. Energy-saving and carbon reduction are the most effective means of combatting climate change. To gain a deeper understanding of Hong Kong citizens’ walking habits and their views on climate change, WGO conducted a survey in December last year that engaged 400 participants through online and offline questionnaires. The results indicate that the proportion of citizens who engage in daily walks for 30 minutes or more has reached 10%, marking a 2.2 percentage point rise compared to 7.8% in 2022. Although there has been improvement, the percentage remains relatively low. In contrast, nearly 30% of the respondents reported walking for at least 30 minutes only one to two days per week, and approximately 8% stated that they did not engage in 30 minutes of walking on any given day within a week. These figures reflect the inadequate amount of time that Hong Kong citizens spend walking, indicating an unfavourable situation.
After the pandemic, 19.5% of the respondents stated that they have increased their walking compared to before. However, 57% of the respondents reported that the ratio of walking to using transport services remains unchanged. More than 51% of the respondents opt for using transport services due to time constraints or the desire to save time. Approximately 20% of respondents opt for transportation during extreme weather conditions such as very hot or very cold weather or rain. However, it is gratifying to note that over 56.3% of the respondents indicated railways are their most frequently used mode of transportation. Railways have the lowest per capita carbon emissions among public transport services, while the energy consumption of rail accounts for only 3.4% of the total energy consumption in the transport sector in Hong Kong.
Global warming is a collective responsibility that we all share. Facing extreme weather conditions, 92% of the survey respondents express support for adopting a low-carbon lifestyle and are willing to make changes to their daily habits to mitigate climate change. Around 72% of respondents stated that they would increase their use of public transportation, while approximately 40% would reduce their electricity consumption, and 34% would minimise paper usage by using digital alternatives to reduce carbon emissions. However, the survey also revealed that 5.5% of the respondents have never heard of a low-carbon lifestyle and are unfamiliar with the concept of carbon reduction.
The CEO of the World Green Organisation, Dr. William Yu, noted, “After encountering the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather conditions worldwide, there has been a continuous increase in environmental awareness. People are reducing the use of single-use plastics and prefer public transportation to private vehicles. Furthermore, enterprises are more positive towards carbon reduction, striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 or earlier. However, the journey towards carbon reduction remains long and challenging. Protecting the Earth and mitigating global warming require cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration from leaders in the political and business sectors, scientists, environmental experts, and the general public. We understand that extreme weather conditions resulting in high temperatures may lead to increased air conditioning usage and a reluctance to walk, but this will only form a vicious cycle. WGO aims to encourage citizens to take a few more steps for the planet and cultivate low-carbon lifestyle habits through the Green WALK Hong Kong, thereby realizing the vision of sustainable development in Hong Kong.”
