Hong Kong’s environment is affected by pollution from the Guangdong Province and vice versa. When the many manufacturing industries previously based in Hong Kong moved into southern China, a pollution problem was not cured, merely relocated. In recent years, when the winter winds blow from the north into Hong Kong pollution levels in Hong Kong increase. Development in Guangdong has been in a similar style to that of Hong Kong, consequently Guangdong now suffers similar air and water pollution problems to those facing Hong Kong. Some initiatives such as the Hong Kong–Guangdong Environmental Protection Liaison Group, have been set up to address these mutual problems.

China is aware of the concept of sustainability. Mainland China published their Agenda 21 in 1994 and many Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, followed and published their own local Agenda 21’s. Chinese philosophers were developing complex ideas on sustainability 2000 years ago and emphasizing the integration of natural and human systems. Chinese philosophy rejects the western concept of domination over nature, preferring to work with nature rather than against it. Building development needs to achieve ecological, economic and cultural sustainability while still meeting practical and operational needs. Resource depletion, pollution and waste as a result of development needs to be controlled. Lao’s philosophy that there is no distinction between man and nature, the universe is a single unity and a balance must be maintained. If man’s activities follow this natural rule then nature can be sustained.