HONG KONG (Kyodo) -- The Climate Group, a London-based organization advising on carbon-footprint reduction solutions to governments and businesses, said Monday that Chinese companies are showing increasing interest in profiting from a low-carbon economy.
Kalmond Ma, the group's head of the Pearl River Delta regional program, said the organization is engaging financier interest in investing in low-carbon solutions in the region as more companies and their suppliers want to be seen as socially responsible.
"They are slowly realizing that doing this clean housekeeping action can actually help them to reduce operational costs and manufacturing costs, so it's a win-win (situation) for them, and they please their buyers at the same time," he said.
Ma agreed the global economic slump could hinder the low-carbon economy, but the effect is yet to be seen.
"It will be tough, but if we help (the businesses) to focus that actually they can boost their profitability by cutting down energy consumption, or investing in other up and coming low-carbon technology, probably there's a way out," he said.
The group will hold a debut international conference in Hong Kong later this month to bring together government officials and businesses and share incentives on how to boost profitability while becoming more environmentally conscious.
The conference, inviting mainland and European Commission officials, business groups, Hong Kong stock exchange official and bankers, will be held Oct. 27.
Founded in 2004, the Group runs on corporate membership fees, program fees and sponsor and government funding.
A Carbon Reduction Campaign will be rolled out in Hong Kong here within months, detailing for businesses and their consumers practical measures on how to save energy and reduce the carbon footprint, Ma said.