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Hong Kong is suffering from ecological overshoot as its demand for natural resources and ecological services is far more than what its ecosystems can provide, according to an environmental report released on August 20 in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2013 shows that Hong Kong has an average Ecological Footprint of 4.7 global hectares (gha) per person, which is a staggering 150 times more than the 0.03 gha of Hong Kong's available biocapacity per capita, suggesting that the city is in "ecological deficit". In comparison with other around 150 countries, the deficit of Hong Kong ranks the ninth largest in the world and the second largest in Asia.
The Ecological Footprint is an accounting tool used to measure mankind's demand for the regenerative capacity of our planet: earth's biocapacity. Human demand for biocapacity is determined by adding up all demands for productive surfaces of the planet. These may be local surfaces, or surfaces afar that produce traded goods or provide services such as CO2 sequestration, crops, seafood or meat products.
The report shows that it is taking 1.5 years for the Earth to fully regenerate the renewable resources that people are using in a single year. C W Cheung, Head of the Footprint Programme of WWF-Hong Kong said that if the situation remains unchanged in the future, people will need the equivalent resources of three Earths to satisfy their daily needs by the middle of this century.
Due to the high demand for and low domestic availability of natural resources, Hong Kong is substantially dependent on imports from overseas and therefore highly reliant on its trade partners. Cheung said that Hong Kong's relatively high income still allows it to successfully bid for and import natural resources from overseas. "But there's no guarantee that the city's competitive advantage will remain forever, though," he said, adding that Hong Kong may be increasingly exposed to price volatility and supply disruption in world markets.
Cheung also suggested that Hong Kong should strive for changes and adapt to the rules of the new game, so that it will not be vulnerable to fluctuations in global market prices and supply disruption.
"With its innovation power and many efficiency advantages, Hong Kong has the potential to take the lead in sustainable development," said Global Footprint Network President Mathis Wackernagel, "This is not only good for the world, but it gives Hong Kong a distinct advantage and ensures economic stability."
