Veteran activist warns of ‘shrinking space’ for green advocacy in Hong Kong

2026.03.21 09:20 Green Earth founder Edwin Lau says Hongkongers are living at the expense of their next generations. Photo: Jonathan Wong After decades at the frontline campaigning for environmental policies, Edwin Lau Che-feng, founder of The Green Earth, is finally slowing down to focus on his health and passion for radio-controlled boats. The 68-year-old has been one of the most vocal environmentalists championing the waste-charging scheme for more than two decades. Lau still remembers May 27, 2024, the day when the government abruptly paused the waste-charging bill, as if it were yesterday. The suspension was the biggest blow in his 36-year career. “It feels impossible. Never in my life have I heard of a law in Hong Kong that has already been passed, yet fails to be implemented,” he said. The pay-as-you-throw policy, which required residents to use designated prepaid trash bags, was first proposed in 2004 and passed by the legislature in 2021. It was to take effect in 2023 after 18 months of preparation. But the government shelved the scheme indefinitely after two delays due to widespread public concerns over its impact on the cost of living and uncertainty in the implementation. “Authorities could have led with waste charging within government premises first,” Lau said. “The government lacked the determination and confidence, as well as the initiative to take action and implement this bill.” Reflecting on the ups and downs of his career, Lau recalled fond memories of changing sceptics’ minds, and addressed the challenges of the government’s dwindling public engagement, warning of a “borrowed future” in which Hongkongers live at the expense of the next generations. His journey started in 1989 when, in his early thirties, he came across a newspaper ad and joined Friends of the Earth, rising through the ranks to CEO over 26 years. In the early 1990s, Lau pioneered the waste paper recycling programme in schools, promoted three-colour recycling bins in public housin

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