Our Performance

Environmental Performance

Social Performance

Economic Performance

Environmental Policy

We are committed to contributing to environmental sustainability and promoting a better environment for the community of Hong Kong through the formulation of planning policies and standards, the preparation and implementation of town plans as well as the promotion of green office practices in the Department. To maintain a high standard of environmental performance, we will:

• take full account of the environmental implications of all planning activities;

• facilitate the achievement of a quality-built environment and the protection of natural environment; and encourage environmentally responsible development;

• enforce the Town Planning Ordinance against unauthorised developments which result in adverse environmental impacts;

• comply with the requirements of relevant environmental protection ordinances;

• promote public awareness on environmental sustainability issues;

• cultivate a clean, tidy, healthy and safe office environment; promote and implement green housekeeping measures; and raise staff awareness of their environmental responsibilities through training and publicity programmes; and

• regularly review the environmental aspects and impacts of our planning activities and office practices; and build up the Department's environmental management system.

Environmental Management System

The Department applies an Environmental Management System to undertake the planning, implementation and monitoring of the Department's environmental initiatives and programme in a co-ordinated way.

Green Housekeeping Measures

The Planning Department Green Housekeeping Committee continued its efforts in promoting and introducing new green initiatives in the office and enhancing staff's environmental awareness. The Committee organised a ‘Green Office’ poster design competition between October and November 2009. Funded as a Staff Motivation Scheme activity, the competition was successful in raising staff's awareness in green issues. The prized entries were exhibited at the Department's headquarters.

Winner 1st Runner-up 2nd Runner-up 2nd Runner-up

As in the last seven years, a Collect-for-Reuse Programme was organised in October 2009 to promote waste reduction and material reuse practices. Used clothes, toys, house ware, electrical appliances, computer equipment and CDs/VCDs/DVDs were collected from staff and channelled to relevant charity and recycling agents. The active participation of staff in helping the needy through the green activities was encouraging.

Old items collected for re-use and recycling

The green office management of the Department in terms of consumption of paper and envelopes in 2009 is indicated below:

• There was an increase of 0.9% in paper consumption in 2009 as compared to 2008. This was mainly due to the increase in the number of public engagement exercises for planning studies undertaken and the amount of representations to statutory plans processed in the year.

• There was an increase of 6.4% in respect of consumption of envelopes as compared to 2008. This was also mainly due to the increase in the number of public engagement exercises for planning studies undertaken in the year.  The Green Housekeeping Committee will closely monitor paper and envelope consumption and remind colleagues to continue to be environmentally conscious and minimise paper and envelope usage as far as possible.

Other green measures include :

• 424 numbers of toner cartridges disposed on a trade-in basis;

• 14 325 kg of paper were collected for recycling;

• 9 boxes of used clothes, handbags, shoes and toys, 26 electrical appliances and 2 computer sets were collected for reuse by charitable organisations;

• Green activities to enhance staff's awareness in environmental protection were organised. Jointly organised with the Planning Department Staff Recreation Club, a day trip to Hong Kong Geopark was organised in December 2009. This activity was well received by the participants.

• Installation of lighting sensors in cellular offices, which would automatically switch off the lighting when the offices are not in use, was on-going.

• Government/departmental forms were uploaded onto the Intranet for staff's easy retrieval.

• The operation of the Department was supported by a fleet of 12 vehicles running on unleaded fuel, liquefied petroleum gas and hybrid synergy of electricity and petrol fuel. The fleet of vehicles ran up a total mileage of over 228 000km in 2009. The vehicles were used for carrying personnel, equipment and materials in undertaking duties such as undertaking enforcement actions against unauthorised developments, posting of notices in relation to processing of planning applications and site visits/inspections. Pending on operational requirements, some of the vehicles may be replaced by vehicles using hybrid or alternative fuel when they are due for replacement.

A day trip to Hong Kong Geopark

Conservation-related zones

The scarcity of land and increasing development pressure impose threats to our natural environment. Through zoning designation, we help safeguard our natural environment against undesirable development in areas of high conservation value.

As at end of 2009, about 9 057 hectares (or 24%) of land in the New Territories fall within the following conservation-related zones on the relevant statutory plans : ‘Conservation Area’, ‘Site of Special Scientific Interests’, ‘Country Park’, ‘Coastal Protection Area’, and ‘Other Specified Uses’ annotated ‘Comprehensive Development to include Wetland Restoration Area’; and ‘Comprehensive Development and Wetland Enhancement Area’.

Planning Enforcement Against Unauthorised Development

Unauthorised developments (UDs) in the rural New Territories have led to environmental degradation in the rural New Territories and are causing nuisance to the local communities. These UDs, such as unauthorised land/pond filling activities, open storage of vehicles, containers, construction machineries and materials, as well as container trailer parks and workshops, have damaged the natural environment and caused problems like flooding, air and water pollution, traffic congestion and even posing a threat to public safety. Planning enforcement and prosecution actions against the UDs are essential to help prevent further degradation of the rural environment.  Appendix 3 is a summary of the enforcement and prosecution actions undertaken by the Planning Department in 2009. There were also publicity campaign relating to planning enforcement including television and radio announcements of public interest, promulgation of pamphlets and posters, and undertaking outreach education programmes at secondary schools to increase public’s awareness, e.g. UDs are subject to enforcement and prosecution actions.

Unauthorised land filling before enforcement action

Site cleared and reinstated after taking enforcement action

Computer Aided Sustainability Evaluation Tool (CASET)

A computerised decision support system known as CASET has been developed to assist the Government's evaluation of sustainability implications of major strategic policies and projects. The outputs of CASET would provide information on the effects of policies or projects across a number of sectors for decision makers to consider. CASET has also been employed by the Planning Department as one of the means to conduct sustainability assessment of town plans and major planning studies that may bring about significant or prolonged implications on the economic, social and environmental conditions of Hong Kong. In 2009, a total of 20 sustainability assessments were conducted.