Construction activities has been a long-standing source of pollution complaints. A partnership programme therefore was formed with the Hong Kong Construction Association (HKCA) and other trade associations to address problems and improve understanding on both sides. As a result, contractors were encouraged to exercise greater care about the environment and communication between the EPD and the construction industry was enhanced.

A dedicated website http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/textonly/english/greenconstruction has also been lanuched to disseminate EPD's guidelines, news, programmes and activities to the community on green construction.

Controlling Construction Waste

Excess construction and demolition waste puts great pressure on landfills. A task force on reducing construction waste therefore was set up in 1999 and is chaired by the Hong Kong Construction Association (HKCA).

Under the task force, a Waste Management Plan was drawn up to manage waste generated from construction sites. It has been adopted on public works projects since January 2001. A Technical Circular for the plan is now being reviewed to enhance it.

The task force also identified a facility to recycle waste concrete for aggregates at Tuen Mun Area 38, which opened in July 2002. A technical circular providing specifications for facilitating the use of recycled aggregates was issued in March 2002. A fill bank also opened in Area 137 of Tseung Kwan O, in October 2002, to provide contractors in the urban area with an additional disposal outlet for suitable public fill materials.

The EPD's Environmental Compliance Division (previously named as the Local Control Division) and the Waste Facilities Division are conducting outreach work with contractors to promote waste reduction and waste sorting on construction sites. Publicity materials on environmental site management have been distributed to the industry. Guidelines and information on good environmental management on construction sites are also available at the EPD website.

Additionally, the HKCA has set up a Green Construction Information Corner on its website, with input from the EPD. It will not only cover construction waste, but also include guidelines for controlling and reducing air pollution, wastewater and noise from construction sites.

Assessing the Impacts of the Construction Industry

The Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance is intended to control impacts from new developments and activities. An EIAO User Liaison Group for contractors has been established, one of four set up by the EPD. It meets every six months and is useful for exchanging views and information with contractors. As a result of these discussions, eight Guidance Notes have been produced on how to comply with the Ordinance.

Conferences on the EIA process have also been organised for the trade. Notably, a conference was organised with the Hong Kong Construction Association in 2001 and another organised for EIAO User Liaison Groups. These were both well-attended and well-received.

The trade and the public can also get information at the EPD's Cyber Help Bench, which was launched in January 2002 to consolidate all EIAO information in a single page. The site also includes good examples and guidance notes, as well as the entire EIA Ordinance, the Technical Memorandum on EIA Process and all approved EIA reports and Permits.

ISO 14001 EMS and Environmental Performance Reporting

The EPD has been encouraging the construction sector, and all private organisations, to improve their environmental performance since 1994. A major focus of these efforts is the adoption of the ISO 14001 environmental management system and environmental reporting.

The construction industry is by far the leading sector in terms of ISO 14001 certification. 154 construction related companies held 157 of the 615 certificates issued in Hong Kong by December 2008. The EPD's website includes a list of the construction companies involved and vision statements from their senior management. It is hoped this will encourage others in the trade to improve their environmental management practices.

As part of our promotion efforts, we have organised joint seminars and workshops with the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, among others. In 2001, we also organised two larger events. A seminar on environmental management and green procurement was held with Environment Canada, and a separate gathering was organised on corporate environmental performance. These were well-attended and well-received.

In December 2004, the EPD launched a seminar and disseminated a support package on Environmental Management Information and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) tailored made for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction sector. They aim to help SMEs in the construction sector understand the local environmental pressure from different stakeholders and stay competitive in the environmentally conscious market.

The seminar was organised by the EPD with support from the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau, Provisional Construction Industry Coordination Board, Hong Kong Construction Association, Swire Properties, Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, Trade and Industry Department and Business Environment Council (link to presentation material page). More than 200 participants representing SME contractors, main contractors, utility companies, academia, consultants and government departments attended the seminar and share their valuable experience in environmental management.

The support package for the construction sector includes a review of updated environmental management information related to the latest trend in supply chain pressure in the construction sector, a set of user-friendly generic ISO 14001 EMS templates, and a user manual with sector specific practical examples for the construction sector to facilitate their adoption and implementation of the ISO 14001 EMS.

Additionally, the EPD has published self-help guidebooks which are accessible through our website.