Oct

Simple Actions to Combat Climate Change

Do you wonder who the culprit was behind Super Typhoons Mangkhut and Hato last year? Warmer oceans caused by climate change cause more frequent and intense typhoons. This clarion call from nature coincides with the recent warning from United Nations1 about limiting the increase of world temperature to 1.5°C through urgent actions by 2030 as a further increase to 2°C would result in irreversible catastrophes. It is not too late to take actions now and no actions are too insignificant.

About climate change
More greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide) from human activities (e.g. increased energy use) trap heat in the atmosphere and cause more intense global warming.

How is climate change related to you?
Experience hotter summers and more severe typhoons and rainfall, causing:

  • Damages to your assets. You may need to pay higher insurance premiums if you live in the coastal areas which are more affected by typhoons.
  • Disruptions to your travel plans due to closure of airports and flights not being able to take off/land amid adverse weather.

    • Loss of travel destinations in future e.g. submergence of Maldives due to rising sea levels


    Simple actions that you can start doing today:

    Clothing:

  • Use energy-efficient washing machines
  • Use washing machines with a full load of clothes
  • Use cold water to wash the clothes

    • Food:
  • Eat more vegetables and less meat, especially beef (the raising of cows produces a lot of methane, a type of greenhouse gas)
  • Eat more local and seasonal food
  • Do not set your refrigerator to an unnecessarily low temperature

    • Living:
  • Choose energy-efficient electrical appliances with energy labels
  • Maintain your air-conditioners at 25-26°C at home/in the office
  • Switch off electrical appliances when they are not in use

    • Travelling:
  • Drive less and use more public transportation
  • Purchase fuel-efficient vehicles or electrical/hybrid vehicles
  • If possible, use stairways more often instead of elevators

    • More tips can be found on the HKSAR Government’s website here

    Every simple action counts, no matter how small they are.
    “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito” – The Dalai Lama


    About New World Sustainability Vision 2030

    The New World Group has a climate strategy in place. Our residential property project such as SKYPARK achieved high green building certification through resource-efficient design and the use of eco-friendly building materials, etc. Energy reduction targets have been set for major retail and commercial buildings, aiming to reduce 37% and 22% of energy consumption intensity in our Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese portfolios by 2030, compared with the baseline years of 2012 and 2015 respectively. These efforts to enhance our climate resilience drive the realisation of New World Sustainability Vision 2030, under which we infuse the elements of green, wellness, smart and caring in our products, services and customer experience. [Read more]


    The green rooftop of SKYPARK

    1United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2018), Global Warming of 1.5°C, Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/