| Our Responsibilities | An Early Advocate of the Paper-less Office | Reducing Energy Consumption | The Hong Kong Awards For Energy Efficiency And Conservation In Government | Greener Transport | Improving the Office Environment with Good Indoor Air Quality |

Our Responsibilities

We aim to exercise the principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in our consumption of materials and to make efficient use of natural resources and energy in all our operations.

We will avoid, reduce and control environmental pollution arising from our day-to-day working practices.

We require our contractors to adopt and implement sound environmental management systems and pollution control measures.

An Early Advocate of the Paper-less Office

The EPD has practiced paper saving measures for many years and reduced paper consumption by 24% since 1998. We have also met and exceeded the targets set in a circular from the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau to reduce photocopying paper consumption by an average of 2.5% a year, from fiscal year 2003/04 to 2006/07. In 2004 the department reduced paper consumption by 15.3%, consuming 13 085 reams of photocopy paper compared with 15 455 reams in 2003. This was achieved as a result of on-going saving initiatives and the following programmes:

Reducing Energy Consumption

The Departmental Environment, Safety and Health Committee provides management level stewardship on energy conservation and efficiency. Energy consumption is a standing item to be reported and reviewed in Committee meetings. Our management system enables us to internalise a plan-do-check-act cycle to raise awareness and communicate with staff.

Extended working hours and the extensive use of information technology have created challenges in reducing energy consumption. The EPD has introduced a number of measures to meet these challenges, and in 2004 consumption in our offices dropped 0.6% compared with 2003, to a total 2 667 398 kWh. New energy-saving measures introduced in 2004 included:

The Hong Kong Awards For Energy Efficiency And Conservation In Government

The EPD participated in the "Hong Kong Awards For Energy Efficiency And Conservation In Government" launched by the Electrical, Mechanical Services Department in late 2003, with a view to achieving a greener office and reducing electricity bills. The competition ran throughout 2004, during which we conducted lighting audits that identified areas for improvement. In particular 523 dispensable fluorescent tubes were removed, resulting in an estimated annual saving of 25 000 kWh. The Environment, Safety and Health Unit also arranged experience sharing seminars, training and briefings to raise staff awareness.

Greener Transport

All EPD vehicles are powered by petrol or liquefied petroleum gas. We have adopted a non-idling policy and are combining trips to reduce air emissions and fuel consumption. In 2004, two vehicles were returned to the Government Logistics Department. The departmental fleet comprised 54 vehicles.

Improving the Office Environment with Good Indoor Air Quality

Good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) creates healthy working conditions for staff and provides a pleasant environment for customers and clients. The EPD participates in the voluntary IAQ Certification Scheme for offices or public places. By the end of 2004 nine EPD premises had been awarded/renewed Good Class IAQ Certificates or above. Details are available in 6.2 Minimising the Impacts of Our Operations.