The Government today announced that the merged structure of the Environment Branch of the Environment & Ecology Bureau and the Environmental Protection Department will be changed from January 1, 2023.

The duties of the Environment Branch and the EPD will be segregated to handle mainly policy formulation and execution of duties, so as to strengthen climate change actions, waste reduction and recycling, and various environment-related tasks.

After the reorganisation, the Environment Branch will continue to be headed by Permanent Secretary for Environment & Ecology (Environment). The permanent secretary will head the civil service team in the branch to assist the Secretary for Environment & Ecology in formulating, co-ordinating and steering policies on energy, environmental protection and assessment, air and water quality improvement, waste management, climate change, sustainable development and nature conservation.

The post of Director of Environmental Protection will be reinstated in the EPD to head the department and assist the Environment Branch to formulate, evaluate and execute policies, strategies, measures and legislation. The Government will, in accordance with the established procedure, announce the appointment of the director in due course.

The Office of Climate Change & Carbon Neutrality will be set up in the Environment Branch to oversee the formulation and co-ordination of the Government's strategies, policies and action plans for tackling climate change and achieving carbon neutrality for Hong Kong.

The EPD, on the other hand, will set up the Waste Reduction & Resources Circulation Office to implement municipal solid waste charging and complementary waste reduction and recycling initiatives.

Duties and responsibilities among the directorate posts in the Environment Branch and the EPD will be redistributed upon the reorganisation. A total of 167 non-directorate posts from the department will be transferred to the branch.

The Government said the reorganised Environment Branch and the EPD will maintain its services to the public, continue to communicate with different sectors and implement policies and work on environment and ecology.