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Following is a speech by the Director of Architectural Services, Mr Pau Shiu-hung, at the presentation ceremony of the ISO 14001 Certificate on Environmental Management System at the Government House today (Wednesday):
Good evening Chief Secretary, Honoured Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen,
Thank you for attending our reception this evening. I am very honoured to receive this Certificate on behalf of the Architectural Services Department, to confirm our achievement in making this positive first step towards improving our environmental performance. Your presence here today confirms my belief that there are many people within the government and the building industry supporting this very worthy and important cause.
You may wonder why Architectural Services Department is taking a lead with this certification.
As our core business is to design, procure, maintain and advise on all Government projects except public housing, it follows therefore that our products and our advice will have a direct bearing on the environment. The construction industry in particular, is a major impact, and this is the key driver for us to improve our environmental approach.
In October 1993 when Government launched the Green Manager Scheme, Architectural Services Department immediately responded and began looking after our internal office housekeeping matters and subsequently has successfully reduced energy and paper consumption.
As we embarked on this initiative, it daunted on us that further improvements could be made with a more systematic environmental approach.
With limited resource and the ISO 9001 certificate obtained in April 1995, we decided to merge the ISO 9001 under our Quality Management System to accommodate the compatible elements of the ISO 14001 certification.
We began detailed planning in 1996. Support was given by Government and our Policy Bureaux. We utilised our own staff to develop the system. I must take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the policy support and to all those who have contributed to obtain certification through their hard work and constructive input.
As ISO 14001 was still a relatively new topic in Hong Kong, there were few compatible guidelines for the building industry, therefore much effort was required to clarify the way forward in fully defining the Environmental Aspects and Impacts of our work and to set our achievable goals and targets.
We held an Environmental Awareness Seminar for our senior staff in the City Hall in October 1997, enlisting assistance from external expert key speakers. The purpose was to introduce to our staff the total concept of protecting the environment from global, regional, local and management perspectives. I must take this opportunity to once again thank the following experts who had assisted us. They are Mrs Mei Ng, Director of Friends of the Earth; Mr Fred Luk, Environmental Services Manager, Cathay Pacific; Mr Edward Stokes, Hong Kong Conservation Photography Foundation; and Professor Roy Barton, The Australian Centre for Value Management Pty Ltd.
After the awareness seminar, our staff had learned much about the subject, the process and what was expected. To address some of the aspects we were less confident about, we enlisted expert independent audit service and advice from the Hong Kong Productivity Council, which was very timely and assisted us greatly in strengthening our system. I must here also thank Miss Andrea Leung, Miss Sophie Le Clue and Mr Thomas Chapman of the Productivity Council for their assistance. I would also thank the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency and their Audit Team for their patience and cooperation throughout the process.
We have now established our Environmental Management System. The system will assist us, firstly by continually developing and improving our approach to total Quality Management to enhance performance and outcomes of our final products and work.
Secondly by developing, training and promoting environmental awareness to our staff to strengthen learning and continued professional development.
Thirdly by providing an example to those involved in our works, including our clients, suppliers, contractors, and consultants, to team up as partners at work to achieving the environmental mandate and, fourthly to meet the expectations of the public and the needs of our future generations through a better environmental performance.
We are aware that today we have only taken the first step. We have a long way to go. We hope that we have provided encouragement for others to follow, and join us to continue to improve and protect our environment.
Thank you.
End/Wednesday, April 22, 1998
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