Our Responsibilities
Working with Partners

Our Responsibilities

We will work with others and continue to build new partnerships in the pursuance of sustainable development objectives.

We actively encourage businesses and other organisations in Hong Kong to adopt environmental management systems and pollution prevention measures.

Working with Partners
Locally
Nationally
Globally

Working with Partners - Locally

Formal Partners
The EPD has established formal partnerships with the construction industry, vehicle repair workshops, restaurants and property managers to promote greater compliance with environmental laws. In 2004 a helpdesk service was set up offering a one-stop source of environmental information for each sector, and arrangements were made to enable application, payment and issuing of permits and licenses online. Other highlights in 2004 included:

	a conference on general environmental issues and good work practices, organised in June with the Hong Kong Construction Association and the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau. More than 160 people attended. Another 500 participants attended a workshop on green construction practices organised in October by the EPD and HKCA.
	a symposium on pollution control technologies for restaurants, organised in February. More than 600 people attended. A mooncake container recovery campaign in the autumn organised by the EPD collected more than 42 000 tin cans.
	the first Green Garage Election 2004, in which 160 garages participated. The event was co-organised by the EPD, Hong Kong Vehicle Repair Merchants Association and Environmental Vehicle Repairers Association. Judging was based on a green guidebook for garages, released in January.
	a free audit of residential housing estates, as part of a district-based building management competition. Property managers were also involved in a trial programme to separate waste on each floor of housing blocks. 159 were also trained as Environmental Protection Ambassadors for Property Management to help in green campaigns.

EPD partnership programmes with trades: (Clockwise from top left) 1) Restaurants; 2) Construction Industry; 3) Property Management Companies; and 4) Vehicle Repair Workshops.

Government Partners
The EPD held over 50 training sessions for about 900 civil servants in 2004. The programmes cover such topics as green office, green living, waste reduction, eco-driving and green consumerism, and more targeted training has been organised for the works departments. The EPD and Highways Department also completed a six-month exchange to enhance awareness about each other's operations. We also work with the Government Logistics Department to establish green specifications for commonly used products, such as paper. By the end of 2004, 37 product categories carried green specifications. Details are available on the EPD website.

Waste Partners
The EPD has helped the Airport Authority, hotels, tertiary and vocational institutions, the recycling trade, the packaging trade, retailers and others to prevent and reduce waste. Assistance is provided through regular discussion forums, ad hoc meetings and dedicated programmes such as the Wastewi$e Scheme and product responsibility schemes (see 5.2e Environmentally-Sound Waste Management and Facilities for details).

EIA and Corporate Environmental Management Support
An EIA Ordinance Support Section provides a helpdesk and other services for government and the private sector, and four User Liaison Groups on the EIAO have been set up with government works departments, consultants, contractors, and private developers. In 2004 we also started offering support to small and medium enterprises (SME) on environmental management (see 5.2a Prevention and Mitigation Through Environmental Impact Assessment for details).

Consultation
Formal consultation on environmental issues is conducted through the Advisory Council on the Environment and the Environmental Affairs Panel of the Legislative Council. The EPD also participates in District Council, industrial and business association meetings to explain new initiatives and seek views. Regular meetings are held with green groups for view sharing. The Environmental Campaign Committee has frequent liaison and works with District Councils, green groups and community groups on waste reduction and awareness-raising campaigns.