Hong Kong is working to achieve a 25 percent reduction in energy intensity by 2030, the top environment official of Hong Kong said on Monday.

"Apart from cost-saving, energy conservation is one of the main measures to sustain development and build a green Hong Kong," said Edward Yau, secretary for Environment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, when officiating at the 2nd Hong Kong Energy Efficiency Awards presentation ceremony.

To meet the target, the bureau has implemented measures to promote energy conservation and the use of clean energy, he said.

The efficiency competition attracted more than 1,400 entries from January to August last year. The winners in the Common Areas category achieved energy savings of 34 percent, compared with the same period in the preceding year. For the Households and Tenants categories, winners saved more than 40 percent and 20 percent energy.

The competition was organized to encourage the public to save energy, promote best practices, and commend those who made efforts, innovations and achievements in energy efficiency and conservation.

(Xinhua News Agency, March 11, 2008)