*****************************************************
Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Frederick Ma, in the Legislative Council today (November 9):
Question:
Regarding the procurement of environmentally-friendly products by various government departments, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective total values of environmentally-friendly products, i.e. those conforming to the green product specifications, procured by each department in each of the past three years;
(b) of the types of environmentally-friendly products procured by each department; and
(c) whether it will set a target percentage of the total value of environmentally-friendly products to be procured in the total value of all procurements, together with an implementation timetable in this regard; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The majority of environmentally friendly products procured by government departments are drawn from the unallocated stock held by the Government Logistics Department (GLD) and from the bulk contracts arranged by GLD, such as recycled papers, stationery, and fuel oils. These environmentally friendly products have incorporated most of the specifications recommended by the Consultancy Study on Environmentally Responsible Products Specifications for Government Procurement Items commissioned by the Environmental Protection Department in 2000. According to the information provided by GLD, they have awarded contracts for environmentally friendly products with a value of about $370.51 million (including contracts for fuel oils of about $301 million), $40.84 million and $47.98 million for 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively. Government departments will also procure environmentally friendly products to meet their operational needs. As they do not record the value of procurement of environmentally friendly products separately, such information is not available.
(b) As mentioned in (a) above, the majority of environmentally friendly products procured by government departments are drawn from the unallocated stock held by GLD and from the bulk contracts arranged by GLD. A list of these environmentally friendly products is at Annex.
Environmentally friendly products procured by government departments mainly include toner cartridges for printers, facsimile machines and photocopiers; rechargeable batteries and alkaline batteries, energy saving appliances and accessories such as refrigerators, lamp bulbs and fluorescent tubes.
(c) As mentioned in (a) above, government departments do not record the value of procurement of environmentally friendly products separately, information on the percentage of the total value of environmentally-friendly products procured by government departments as against their total value of all procurements is not available. Government departments will adhere to the green procurement policy and will as far as possible procure products with improved recyclability, higher recycled contents, reduced packaging, greater durability, greater energy efficiency and clean fuels. Government will, base on the market availability, review the specifications of stores procured by government departments with a view to incorporating environmentally friendly features.
Ends/Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Issued at HKT 12:05
NNNN
