Vision
Our vision is of a Hong Kong
- which enjoys an environment that is both healthy and pleasant;
- in which the community places a premium on sustaining such an environment for both themselves and future generations, and pursues sustainable development; and
- in which the community enjoys a reliable and safe energy supply at reasonable prices, while improving energy efficiency, promoting energy conservation and minimising the environmental impacts from the production and use of energy.
Enjoying a healthy and pleasant environment
Sustaining the environment is vital for both the present and future generations
To realise our vision, we will continue to strengthen our ability to meet environmental sustainability goals. We will formulate policies and implement programmes to improve and safeguard the environment while contributing proactively to strategic decision-making in the Government that will have an impact on the environment. We are committed to ensuring that all policies, services and programmes offered by the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), as well as our own internal operations, are developed and conducted in an environmentally responsible manner.
To realise our vision on energy side, we will continue to monitor the operations of the two power companies and the towngas supply company through the established monitoring arrangements. We will strive to achieve energy efficiency and conservation through public education, promotion, legislation and implementation of various programmes. We will also promote competition and transparency in the local fuel market.
In pursuance of these goals, the EEB and EPD have adopted the following principles:
Pre-empting environmental problems associated with development projects, plans and policies
Formulating and implementing programmes to improve and safeguard the environment
Compliance
We aim to establish an effective legislative and an efficient control framework to safeguard the health and welfare of the community from any adverse environmental, conservation and energy-related issues. We will facilitate businesses to comply with environmental legislation through educational and promotional programmes, and encourage our business partners to further enhance their performance by adopting green practices with a view to going beyond compliance.
We will seek to provide moral leadership by not only complying with the letter of the law, but the spirit of all applicable legislation, standards and regulations, as well as our internal guidelines and procedures, in all our operations within the EEB and EPD. We will endeavour to surpass them whenever possible.
Pollution Prevention
We aim to pre-empt environmental problems associated with development projects, plans and policies by applying environmental impact assessment in the planning process and seeking opportunities to improve the environmental quality of Hong Kong.
We will implement ISO14001 environmental management systems to improve continually the environmental performance of our major facilities. We will avoid, reduce and control environmental pollution arising from our day-to-day working practices. We will require our contractors to adopt and implement sound environmental management systems and pollution control measures, and actively encourage businesses and other organisations in Hong Kong to adopt similar systems and measures. We will help to reduce air emissions by implementing plans and measures that are relevant to our operations to meet the commitments of the Clean Air Charter.
Adequate Infrastructure for Waste Treatment
We will provide first-class physical infrastructure for the treatment and disposal of waste and wastewaters in line with international best practice.
Response to Environmental Incidents
We will implement an emergency response system for handling environmental incidents and we will work closely with other Government departments in responding quickly to minimise the damage to the environment.
Minimisation of Consumption
We aim to plan and provide convenient and cost-effective waste management facilities, as well as promote a sustainable approach to waste management in Hong Kong, in which we consume less, produce less waste, and reuse or recover value from waste.
We will exercise the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Responsibility in the consumption of materials and seek continual improvement in the efficient use of natural resources and energy in all our operations.
Energy Supply and Efficiency
We will continue to oversee the reliability of power supply and monitor the performance of the power companies. We will also actively promote energy efficiency and energy saving in the planning, design, production, use and maintenance of products, buildings and services. We aim to integrate energy conservation and efficiency considerations into policies, strategies, plans, programmes, implementation and operations in both the public and private sectors. We will actively promote partnership and community support, facilitate suitable research and development, and raise the awareness of the community on energy efficiency and conservation matters.
Sustainable Development
We will actively promote and contribute to Government-wide policies and programmes that support sound environmental management and sustainable development. We will use and promote evolving scientific and technological systems, work with others and continue to build new partnerships in the pursuance of sustainable development objectives.
Communication and Partnership
We aim to promote community awareness of the environment, energy and sustainable development through campaigns, publicity, education and action programmes. We strive to partner with all relevant stakeholders in promotion and public education activities, with a view to harnessing the community's support for, and contribution to, achieving our desired goals for the environment, energy efficiency and sustainable development.
We will also publicise to the community our policies on the environment, energy and sustainable development and report annually on our environmental performance. We will ensure that all our staff are aware of our policies and that they are able to provide detailed information about our policies and initiatives to stakeholders in their particular areas of concern.
Training
We will ensure through appropriate training and professional development, that every member of our staff has the knowledge and competency to assume his/her responsibilities and to participate constructively in relevant activities.
Management Review
The Management will review this policy as well as our objectives and targets on the environment, energy and sustainable development, with regard to changing internal and external factors, and seek continual improvement in our performance.
(Adopted in September 1996, revised in July 2022)
