Sustainability Report

Management Approach

DSD actively adopts suitable international standards and management systems, thereby introducing new elements to our management approach and better manage risks to improve our sustainability performance steadily. Given the growing importance of engaging stakeholders in planning and executing organisational sustainability strategies, we have actively strengthened our interactions with stakeholders in recent years, listening and responding to their feedback on our development, in order to respond to the requirements of relevant international guidelines.

Integrated Management System

DSD has begun building and implementing management systems in line with international standards since 2002. At present, we have in place an integrated management system composed of multiple systems that cover quality, environment, and occupational health and safety aspects. We adhere to the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” approach of the management systems and strive for continuous improvement.

The Electrical and Mechanical Branch has adopted the ISO 50001 Energy Management System standard since 2013, with an aim to enhance energy efficiency and alleviate climate change. As a pilot project, an energy management system was implemented at the Yuen Long Sewage Treatment Works. The system passed the certification audit in June 2014, making the first time that DSD received ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification.

Climate change has accelerated in recent years and extreme weather phenomena are occurring more frequently. In this regard, we are facing greater challenges in the design and management of our drainage facilities. Since 2013, DSD has commenced a staged implementation of an Asset Management System (AMS) to better manage our facilities. From May 2014 to May 2017, a total of 124 DSD-operated sewage pumping stations, sewage treatment works and stormwater pumping stations passed the certification audit for ISO 55001 AMS standard, making us one of the first government departments to obtain this accreditation. It is our target to extend similar AMSs to the remaining 220-plus DSD-operated drainage facilities in phases by June 2019.

Stakeholder Engagement

By listening and responding to the needs of various stakeholders, DSD is able to move with the times. We have established multiple channels to maintain two-way communication with stakeholders on matters such as construction works, daily operations and our development approaches. Our stakeholder groups include DSD staff, professional institutions, academia, green groups, the media, work consultants and contractors. For details, please refer to Chapter 8 Stakeholder Engagement Activities.

In addition to maintaining ongoing two-way communication, we also hope that our sustainability reports can better address concerns of our stakeholders. To this end, we began in 2012-13 to launch an additional stakeholder engagement programme prior to compiling each report. This arrangement helps giving us clearer understanding of stakeholders’ views and expectations, which are in turn reflected in the report. In this year’s stakeholder engagement programme, we strengthened our connections with our staff, consultants and the public by collecting their views through focus group meetings and questionnaire surveys. For details, please refer to About this Report.