Information Services Department 2002 Enviornmental Report

Introduction

Green management has been one of the major commitments of Information Services Department. In this fourth environmental report, we shall review the effectiveness of the various environmental initiatives and measures taken in 2002 and sets out our green targets in 2003.

Environmental Goal & Policy

2. Same as in previous years, the Information Services Department is committed to ensuring that government's Public Relations and Information policies, both locally and overseas, are implemented in an environmentally responsible manner. Throughout the year of 2002, we adopted the following policies in meeting our environmental goal: -

(a) implementing government's PR policies in an environmentally responsible manner such as issuing press releases and photographs electronically to all news organisations; promoting the use of the Internet for dissemination of information; publishing the Hong Kong Annual Report on the Internet and in CD Rom format and reducing hard copies of publications produced;
(b) promoting communication within the department through electronic means via GCN and the Intranet; working towards the concept of paperless office to reduce the use and dispatch of paper; adopting the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in the consumption of materials and seeking continuous improvement in the efficient use of natural resources and energy, e.g. by re-engineering of work processes;
(c) complying with the relevant environmental protection ordinances;
(d) providing training for staff to develop an environmentally responsible culture and increasing their awareness of continuous improvement in protecting the environment; and
(e) recommending to clients the use of environmental friendly paper and ink for printing publicity items and publications.

Environmental Management and Performance

3. With the green commitments in mind, we went through another year of green management in 2002 with the following fruitful results:

Environmental Aspects	Measures	Performance in 2002
A. Use of Energy and Material
Energy	All officers are requested to comply with the energy conservation policy of switching off lights and air-conditioners whenever offices are not in use. Routine checks are conducted.	Effective compliance.
	Reduce fuel consumption by rationalising the trips run by departmental vehicles.	Effective compliance.
Material	(i) Measures are taken to economise the use of paper. This includes using the blank side of used paper for drafting, printing on both sides of paper and re-using envelopes, etc.	Effective compliance.
	(ii) All officers are reminded to maximise the use of the Internet and e-mail facilities for communication.	Effective compliance.
	(iii) ISD Intranet was set up in May 2001 to facilitate communication among officers in the department and to reduce the need for hard-copy circulation and facsimile transmission of paper and documents. More than 15 categories with over 1,500 items are posted on the Intranet.	All staff can log into the Intranet and gain access to departmental information, thus minimising the need for hard-copy circulation. The on-line booking of conference rooms and departmental transport available on the Intranet was particularly useful in reducing paper forms required for processing these bookings.
	(iv) Computerised office equipment, e.g. high-speed scanners, digital senders and fax servers are used to improve office efficiency and to minimise paper consumption.	Effective Compliance.
	(v) Environmental initiatives are introduced in respect of the production and sales of Government publications to minimise paper consumption:
	a) Government publications can be ordered by electronic means through the Internet, in addition to phone, fax and mail ordering.	About 50% of the orders for Government publications were received via the Internet in 2002.
	b) e-Gazette is uploaded onto the Government web-site for public viewing.	The number of printed copies of Government Gazette was reduced from 1,500 in 2001 to 1,250 in 2002, representing a drop of 17%.
	c) The Government Telephone Directory is uploaded onto the Government web-site in March 2002.	Printed copies of Government Telephone Directory (GTD) was reduced from 32,200 in 2001 to 27,100 in 2002, representing a drop of 16%. The production of hard copies of the GTD has ceased since 2003.
	d) Publications catalogue and list of new publications are uploaded onto the online Government Bookstore and ISD website to replace hard copies.	The annual production of about 8,000 copies of the “Government Publications Catalogue” had ceased from 2002. The free distribution of the “Monthly New Publications List” of about 900 copies per month had also ceased in 2003.
	e) The information sheet of “Hong Kong Background Information” has been produced in CD-ROM format instead of hard copy since November 2001.	About 224,400 sheets of paper were saved in 2002 as a result of the cessation of the production of the hard copies.
	f) Printed copies of the “Hong Kong: The Facts” series have ceased to be produced since April 2002.	More than one million sheets of paper were saved in 2002.
	(vi) Officers of the TV/radio monitoring team have been re-using audio and video tapes for recording purposes.	Effective compliance.
	(vii) The e-Bulletin launched in December 2002 has served as an additional channel for the Government to communicate directly with the public through the Internet.	Publicising government policies electronically reduces the need for printed publicity materials. The public can express their views to the Government by sending e-mails instead of letters.
	(viii) Bulletin Board System (BBS) for eleven overseas offices was set up in December 2002 to enable the posting of the latest information such as list of visitors to Hong Kong to facilitate access by overseas staff electronically.	A substantial quantity of paper was saved as information need not be sent through fax to overseas offices.
	(ix) The News Services Support System (NSSS), which originally carried only English dispatches from news agencies, was enhanced to incorporate Chinese news dispatches. With the new web interface, the system has also been attached to the ISD Intranet for easy information sharing among ISD officers.	The enhanced system eliminated the need for hard copy printouts. Useful news dispatches selected are now distributed mainly by e-mail and computer fax; or shared among ISD officers via the ISD Intranet.
B. Pollution Prevention
Air-quality	(i) Random checks are conducted to ensure the implementation of Government's Smoke-free Workplace Policy.	Full compliance.
	(ii) All drivers are regularly reminded of the need to switch off engines of cars while waiting.	Full compliance.
Waste	(i) Used printer cartridges are collected for re-cycling.	Used printer cartridges totalling 306 were collected in 2002 and $4,380 was donated to Sowers Action under the Recycling Campaign.
	(ii) Used plastic film containers are collected by a private firm for recycling.	A total of 4,141 plastic film containers were collected for recycling in 2002.
Hazardous waste management	(i) Chemical waste emitted in the course of photo-processing is properly contained and stored.	Arrangement has been made to comply with the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation.
	(ii) The waste is collected by EPD's contractor for disposal.	The contractor has been requested to dispose of chemical waste in an environmentally safe manner.
	(iii) Regular site inspections are conducted to ensure proper handling of hazardous waste.	Full compliance.
Purchasing	(i) Wider use of green products, eg. recycled photocopying paper, alkaline batteries, energy-saving light bulbs and refillable ball- pens, etc.	Green products are widely accepted by all users.
	(ii) Purchase of stores items made of durable materials (e.g. protective clothing made of Gortex), new equipment of low voltage (e.g. LCD monitors) and energy efficient models (for electrical appliances).	Conscious assessment and judgement on environmental friendliness are made on all procurement.
C. Management Action/Initiatives on Environmental Improvement
Green Management Initiatives Implemented
Green management scheme	Each Division has nominated an officer to be the Green Management Co-ordinator who is responsible for gauging staff's views on environmental improvement, relaying views to management and conducting regular checks and reviews on progress of green housekeeping measures implemented.	Close liaison has been maintained between management and the green management co-ordinators. Progress of green housekeeping action plans was highly satisfactory in 2002.
Environmental policy	Departmental management, in consultation with staff, has developed an environmental policy. The policy has been implemented smoothly and is kept under regular review.	The environmental policy was first introduced in December 1999. The Policy Statement is circulated regularly and made available on the Intranet for staff's information.
Support of green activities	Staff members are encouraged to participate in the green activities organised in the community.	Colleagues participated in the World Environment Day in June 2002 and joined the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Festival in November 2002.
D. Education and Training
Training	Environmental audit training is arranged for staff in the Photo Section to equip them with knowledge on the handling of chemical waste discharged in the course of photo-processing.	All technicians handling chemical waste attended related training.
Green practice guideline/ information for staff	Departmental circulars on energy conservation, economy in the use of paper and other environmental protection matters are circulated to all staff periodically and placed on the Lotus Notes Bulletin Board for easy access and re-circulation.	Continuous effort is made on dissemination of information to enhance environmental consciousness.

Environmental Initiatives in 2003

4. The department will make continuous efforts to implement green management in our workplace and further improve the housekeeping green measures. In particular, we are directing our efforts towards an e-office environment. Various projects under the Information Systems Strategy Review have been/will be conducted for the enhancement, improvement and further development of the use of Information Technology (IT) for various work processes of the department. With the successful implementation of these projects, the service of our department as a whole will be delivered in a more environmental-friendly manner. On the other hand, in line with the Government’s Economy Drive to economise on the use of resources, we will work closely with all Green Management Co-ordinators to achieve savings on all fronts and in all forms.

Your suggestions are welcome

5. If you have any suggestion or points to make on this report, you can telephone, call at or write to the Deputy Departmental Secretary (Telephone No. 2842 8626, Fax No. 2525 6584, internet e-mail address hywong@isd.gov.hk)

Previous Environmental Reports

Last updated : August 2003