The Hong Kong government Thursday launched a Pilot Tripartite Scheme on Energy Saving to help non-government organizations (NGOs) to implement energy efficiency measures in their buildings or premises.

The pilot scheme is jointly organized by the Environmental Protection Department, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the Hongkong Electric Co Ltd and CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd.

A spokesman for the department said the scheme aims to provide the current energy audit services of the two power companies to 20 appropriate recipient NGOs.

Through this exercise, the opportunities for enhancement of energy efficiency and conservation can be identified and the NGOs will be encouraged to upgrade the energy efficiency performance of their buildings and offices through implementing the audit recommendations, he explained.

The scheme will enable the recipient NGOs to save energy and cost as well as help cut down greenhouse gas emissions. It also complements the Buildings Energy Efficiency Schemes which were launched earlier this year that targeted at enhancing the energy efficiency of communal areas within residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

More than 100 NGOs had submitted applications and 20 of them were selected by a panel of judges having regard to the energy saving potential of their premises or buildings, corporate governance, scope and scale of operation and size of the organization.

In the next three months, the two power companies will begin to conduct on-site energy audits for the recipient NGOs.

(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2009)