Civil Service Newsletter September 2019 Issue No.105
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  Facilitating business through Smart Regulation
 
  Departments’ green efforts recognised by the HKAEE
 
  Carrying the torch of care
CEDVT volunteers help people flourish
   
 
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Departments’ green efforts recognised by the HKAEE
Environmental Protection Department
 
The acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung (fourth right), Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing (third left), Acting Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection, Ms Irene Young (first left), and other guests officated at the 2018 HKAEE presentation ceremony in April this year.
The acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung (fourth right), Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing (third left), Acting Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection, Ms Irene Young (first left), and other guests officated at the 2018 HKAEE presentation ceremony in April this year.
 
 
COMBATING climate change and building a sustainable future for the environment has been a pressing issue worldwide. Cooperation between the public and private sectors is indispensable in effectively driving positive change in our daily lifestyles and business operation modes. With outstanding performance in environmental protection and enthusiasm in promoting environmental awareness across the community, the Buildings Department (BD), the Civil Aviation Department (CAD), the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and the T·PARK under the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) have been awarded with four Merits in the 2018 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE). The Awards recognise their substantial efforts in serving as role models for other government departments and private businesses in going green.
 
 
 

Now in its 11th year, HKAEE aims to recognise enterprises, organisations and government departments for their efforts in implementing environmental management and assess their commitment and performance in this regard. Organised by the Environmental Campaign Committee, together with EPD and nine leading trade associations and professional bodies, HKAEE is widely regarded as a highly credible environmental award scheme in Hong Kong with a robust and comprehensive assessment process.

Buildings Department — promoting sustainable buildings through multi-pronged approach

In both commercial and residential areas, buildings and sustainable living environments have a close connection with everyone’s life. Apart from promoting building safety and implementing various safety and environmental standards for private buildings, BD is also committed to improving energy efficiency of the buildings and encouraging the industry to adopt sustainable building designs. BD has therefore implemented a series of measures. For example, as the pre-requisites for granting Gross Floor Area (GFA) concessions for the provision of green and amenity features, it is necessary for private buildings to comply with the requirements on building separation, building setback and site coverage of greenery stipulated in the “Sustainable Building Design Guidelines”, as well as other requirements stipulated in the “Guidelines on Design and Construction Requirements for Energy Efficiency of Residential Buildings 2014”, where applicable. Besides, external walls and roofs of commercial buildings or hotels should be designed with suitable overall thermal transfer value to reduce heat transfer through the building envelope, aiming at reducing electricity consumption — particularly for air conditioning. In addition, to further promote buildings’ environmental assessment, Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) Plus assessment has also been included as one of the pre-requisites for granting GFA concessions.

To promote the reduction of construction and demolition wastes, BD actively introduces the use of environmentally friendly construction methods to stakeholders in the industry, such as the use of precast concrete in the construction works to reduce both wastage of concrete and associated carbon footprint. To facilitate the revitalisation and re-use of historic buildings, BD has formed dedicated Heritage Units, providing technical advice and pre-submission enquiry services on adaptive re-use or alteration of, or additional works to, historic buildings, to facilitate the processing of relevant building plan submissions. A practice guidebook was also published to share the experience with other stakeholders on successful revitalisation projects.

 

Lifting and installation of a precast façade.
Lifting and installation of a precast façade.

 

In addition, BD has developed its own Electronic Forms Submission System for online submission of applications to promote paperless operation. Building Records Access and Viewing On-line system has also been implemented to facilitate online viewing of building records by the public to further reduce paper consumption.

Civil Aviation Department — adopting new technologies to alleviate environmental impact

Given the high daily air traffic flow within the territory of Hong Kong, CAD is conscious of the impact of aircraft noise to the community and has implemented a series of aircraft noise mitigation measures based on the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization, which include various noise abatement operational procedures. For example, arranging aircraft to use flight paths over water during overnight periods, to avoid flying over densely populated areas whenever possible. Another measure involves the application of satellite-based navigation technology to improve the track-keeping accuracy of suitably equipped aircraft, which further confines the noise footprint. CAD has also installed an Aircraft Noise and Flight Track Monitoring System to closely monitor the implementation and effectiveness of such aircraft noise mitigation measures as well as the aircraft noise level in various districts.

Since the commissioning of the Aeronautical Information Management Centre in CAD Headquarters, a new Aeronautical Information Management System has been put into operation to replace the traditional means of paper-based information management. As compared with the traditional system, which required manual plotting on paper charts and continuous use of papers for new drafts, the new system features a graphical reporting tool, which allows operators to input the geographical coordinates of areas affecting flight operations, obtain an instantaneous display on the screen, and send aeronautical charts efficiently through email. The new system enhances the accuracy, efficiency and quality of information transmission, and also significantly reduces paper consumption.

Another measure to reduce paper consumption in CAD’s daily operation is the introduction of the Electronic Flight Strip System. After the full commissioning of the new Air Traffic Management System, traditional paper flight progress strips were no longer used in both the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower and the ATC Centre. It is estimated that more than 3 million paper strips (equivalent to about 270,000 sheets of A4 paper) can be saved every year with reference to current air traffic volumes handled by the ATC Centre.

Hong Kong Observatory — enhancing environmental awareness through public education

It is vital for members of the public to be aware of the impact of climate change on everyone’s life. In addition to its responsibility for monitoring and forecasting weather as well as issuing warnings on weather-related hazards, HKO also actively participates in international exchanges, co-operation and scientific research related to climate change and advises the public and government departments on its implications, so as to assist relevant stakeholders in drawing up plans and measures to mitigate, adapt and become more resilient to climate change.

Apart from thematic exhibitions, school talks and public lectures, HKO has also been actively developing its social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. These channels convey important information on meteorology and climate change to the public and help arouse their interest in related issues. In particular, HKO Facebook page has garnered widespread public support with the number of followers currently more than 160,000. HKO has also been working with different government departments on related educational work. For example, a new book entitled “Climate Change and Biodiversity in Hong Kong” was recently co-published with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, reminding the community to support mitigating measures on climate change and conserve biodiversity through the demonstration of the impact of climate change by a series of photos.

   
HKO and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department launched a new book, Climate Change and Biodiversity in Hong Kong.
HKO and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department launched a new book, Climate Change and Biodiversity in Hong Kong.

 

HKO has also endeavoured to minimise its carbon emissions in its daily operations. The use of renewable energy installations, such as solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, continues to expand at HKO’s Headquarters and outstations, while the provision of office facilities is also frequently reviewed so as to further optimise their energy efficiency and reduce their impact on the environment. Efforts have also been made to better manage the woodland at HKO’s Headquarters by engaging professional practitioners to conduct regular examinations to safeguard tree health and enhance biodiversity.

T▪PARK, Environmental Protection Department — adopting advanced technologies to turn waste into energy

Located at Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun, T▪PARK is a sludge treatment facility that combines advanced technologies, including sludge incineration, power generation, seawater desalination and wastewater treatment. T▪PARK adopts the proven technology of “fluidised bed incineration” for treating sewage sludge collected from major sewage treatment works in Hong Kong. After incineration, the volume of waste that requires landfill disposal is significantly reduced by up to 90%.

 

T▪PARK combines advanced technologies including sludge incineration, power generation, seawater desalination and wastewater treatment.
T▪PARK combines advanced technologies including sludge incineration, power generation, seawater desalination and wastewater treatment.

 

T▪PARK requires no external supplies of water or electricity. Heat energy is recovered from the incineration process for generating electricity. Apart from supplying adequate electricity for the whole facility, surplus electricity is also exported to the public power grid. Some of this heat energy recovered is also used to warm up the spa pools in the facility for free use by the public, illustrating the benefit of “waste-to-energy”.

In practising total water management, T▪PARK’s on-site desalination plant supplies potable and process water. Meanwhile, rainwater is collected for non-potable uses in the facility and all wastewater generated during daily operations is collected, properly treated and reused for irrigation, flushing and cleansing purposes so as to achieve “zero wastewater discharge”. The outstanding green building features enable T▪PARK to attain the Provisional Platinum rating under BEAM Plus New Buildings Version 1.1.

T▪PARK is more than a sludge treatment facility. It also plays an important role in education, enabling the public to learn more about the importance of sustainable development in Hong Kong. Since its opening in 2016, the number of visits by members of the public to T▪PARK has exceeded 245,000. Workshops are organised to introduce to the public the benefits of “waste-to-resources” and “upcycling”. Besides, T▪CAFE provides visitors with different choices of vegetarian dishes and portions that suit their needs in order to promote the concepts of “food wise” and “waste reduction”.

 

Visitors can make online reservations to use the spa pool for free and enjoy the benefits of “waste-to-energy”.
Visitors can make online reservations to use the spa pool for free and enjoy the benefits of “waste-to-energy”.

 

About Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence

Through participation in HKAEE, government departments have the opportunity to showcase to the public their excellence in environmental management and be awarded in recognition of their achievement in this regard. Moreover, free professional advice from the consultants during the assessment may further help to review and enhance the effectiveness of their environmental measures. Government departments may also apply to the Hong Kong Green Innovations Awards (HKGIA), which encourage organisations to tackle environmental challenges with innovative and practical green solutions. For the full list of winners and more details of HKAEE and HKGIA, please visit the website http://www.hkaee.gov.hk.

 

Participants explore waste reduction initiatives at “waste-to-resources” and “upcycling” workshops.
Participants explore waste reduction initiatives at “waste-to-resources” and “upcycling” workshops.