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The over-riding supply chain requirement is in
compliance with environmental legislation. Other areas are applied
in differing degrees as follows.
3.2 PUBLIC WORKS AND RELATED
DEPARTMENTS
Government works and building
related departments implement extensive requirements for contractors
to adopt environmental measures both in the design and construction
of public works projects. Typically, contractors and suppliers are
required or otherwise encouraged to use environmentally-friendly
building materials and energy efficient building services
installations in design through contract documents and
specifications. Construction technologies, such as prefabrications,
left-in formworks, slip form construction, are also increasingly
encouraged. Most departments require the adoption of construction
site environmental management to minimize adverse environmental
impacts caused by the construction activities. Apart from complying
with all relevant environmental legislations and bylaws, other
control measures such as "trip ticket system", "waste management
plan", "pay for site cleanliness' scheme" etc. are required by
contractors.
It was also observed that these departments
perceived the management of contractors' environmental performance,
such as managing on-site environmental issues, promoting and
monitoring environmental best practices and good management at
construction site, as an important mission and consideration of
their department. Most require main contractors to have satisfactory
environmental performance, including the adequacy of avoidance
measures against noise, water, air and waste pollution and
compliance with environmental enactments, both in the past (for
tender evaluation) and during the project. An increasing number of
contracts for public buildings include requirements for contractors
to conduct environmental assessments of projects using the Hong Kong
Building Environmental Assessment Method (HK-BEAM) [1].
[1]HK-BEAM is
the voluntary scheme to measure, improve and label the environmental
performance of buildings in Hong Kong. Implemented by the
HK-BEAM Society, a not-for-profit and member based organisation (see
http://www.beamsociety.org.hk/en_index.php), HK-BEAM has
to date been adopted by 95 major developments, approximately 30% of
which have been commissioned by public sector clients.
Only the EPD at present requires the implementation
of an ISO14001 compliant EMS for the design, building and the
operation of waste management facilities. Contractors have been
required to implement, from the commencement of the works, an EMS
compliant ISO14001 since 2000 and to be certified within a specified
period. Contractors are also required to carry out environmental
monitoring, with a portion of the contract sum allotted for
compliance with environmental performance requirements.
3.3 PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AND UTILITY
COMPANIES
Surveys have revealed that private
developers usually specify environmental requirements in their
tender specifications as the first line of environmental control to
their contractors. Most also issue environmental or design
guidelines to their main contractors requiring the adoption of
various best practices, in most cases focusing on compliance with
regulatory requirements for air, water, noise and waste management.
More recently, some private developers have begun to introduce
requirements for the implementation of a waste management plan,
environmental management plan, and employment of an independent
environmental checker on site. A large number of private developers
also require their construction projects to be assessed against and
certified under HK-BEAM.
Surveys revealed that utility companies also request
their building contractors, for projects such as including transfer
stations, transformer stations and piping network projects, to
comply with all relevant environmental legislation. Environmental
requirements are included in tender documents and specifications for
special conditions such as asbestos abatement. Utility companies
such as The Hong Kong & China Gas Co. Ltd also reported that
they advise their sub-contractors and suppliers to use more
environmentally-friendly materials and require the minimisation of
waste generation through the collection of reusable waste materials
for recycling. More stringent environmental requirements such as the
implementation of Environmental Management Plan (EMP) are also
imposed on certain projects such as designated projects (e.g. as
marine cable works contractors).
3.4 MAIN CONTRACTORS
Under a typical mode of operation in construction sector:
Client/Designer - Main Contractors - Main contactors -
Sub-contractors (service providers/materials suppliers), the main
contractors play an important role in communicating the
environmental requirements from the clients to their
sub-contractors. Main contractors generally issue environmental
guidelines to their sub-contractors as the basis of their
environmental requirements. These specify the environmental best
practices that should be followed and adopted by their
sub-contractors at their construction sites, mainly focusing on
statutory requirements related to air, water, noise and waste
management or the environmental considerations requested by clients
such as government bureaux, departments and private
developers.
Most main contractors appear to take full control
of the construction project and site operation, with sub-contractors
found to play minor roles in environmental protection (such as participation
in training and education programmes), as they may simply supply
labour and equipment to the main contractors without direct involvement
in environmental management in construction projects. As such the
environmental requirements of clients are to a large degree absorbed
by the main contractors and seldom reach the second or third tiers
players of the supply chain. No instances of main contractors requiring
their sub-contractors to implement and EMS were observed, however
a strong desire was evident for sub-contractors to improve their
environmental performance and ensure the necessary environmental
standards on site.
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