Hong Kong's Institutional Capacity in Tackling Climate Change Challenges

JAP RENATA ADE C., Dr. Nanang Pamuji Mugasejati

2016 | Skripsi | S1 ILMU HUBUNGAN INTERNASIONAL

It has been widely understood that climate change is considered as one of the biggest challenges in the 21st century. One of the most common policies in climate change mitigation is for governments and related stakeholders to take the lead and demonstrate commitment by setting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and implementing effective policies to achieve their targets. Hong Kong's efforts in tackling climate change problems are relatively new, and their reluctance is partly caused by their laissez-faire nature in economics policy. Moreover, there is a lack of institutional capacity in Hong Kong to deal with climate change mitigation. This work tries to examine how ecological modernization could help policymakers in Hong Kong to address this problem since ecological modernization frames climate change mitigation in terms that support industrial development and the liberal market. Further, ecological modernization encourages technological innovation, engaging with economic imperatives, political and institutional change, transforming the role of social movements, and discursive change. There is a significant degree of awareness regarding the importance of climate change mitigation by the government, related stakeholders and citizens but the lack of institutional capacity hinders Hong Kong�s prospect to meet its emission reduction target. It is important for the government to strictly adhere to their target and making sure that every initiative aimed at each sectors of economy is based on them. It is necessary to have a specific, dedicated institution that is able to support and reach into various actors or stakeholders to govern the initiatives.

It has been widely understood that climate change is considered as one of the biggest challenges in the 21st century. One of the most common policies in climate change mitigation is for governments and related stakeholders to take the lead and demonstrate commitment by setting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and implementing effective policies to achieve their targets. Hong Kong's efforts in tackling climate change problems are relatively new, and their reluctance is partly caused by their laissez-faire nature in economics policy. Moreover, there is a lack of institutional capacity in Hong Kong to deal with climate change mitigation. This work tries to examine how ecological modernization could help policymakers in Hong Kong to address this problem since ecological modernization frames climate change mitigation in terms that support industrial development and the liberal market. Further, ecological modernization encourages technological innovation, engaging with economic imperatives, political and institutional change, transforming the role of social movements, and discursive change. There is a significant degree of awareness regarding the importance of climate change mitigation by the government, related stakeholders and citizens but the lack of institutional capacity hinders Hong Kong�s prospect to meet its emission reduction target. It is important for the government to strictly adhere to their target and making sure that every initiative aimed at each sectors of economy is based on them. It is necessary to have a specific, dedicated institution that is able to support and reach into various actors or stakeholders to govern the initiatives.

Kata Kunci : climate change mitigation, Hong Kong, ecological modernization