Sustainability Management

The DSD has established a holistic and mature sustainability management structure, covering a wide range of sustainability aspects comprehensively. Under the leadership of our senior management, we proactively examine relevant issues and provide appropriate recommendations as well as supervising related initiatives. In addition to adopting suitable international standards and management systems, we strengthen communication with stakeholders and solicit their views through multiple channels, with an aim to continuously invigorate our management approach and improve our sustainability performance.

Management Structure

We have set up three committees and two working groups, including:

Green Management Committee

Chaired by the Deputy Director, the Committee is responsible for reviewing the environmental management policy, formulating environmental work objectives and targets, and monitoring the effectiveness of environmental programmes and initiatives.

During the reporting period, the Committee held two meetings to hold in-depth discussions on energy saving, greening, emission reduction and waste reduction. Environmental initiatives were also reviewed for their latest progress.

Safety Steering Group

Chaired by the Deputy Director, the Group is responsible for overseeing and promoting occupational safety and health across the DSD's undertakings, setting safety standards and guidelines, formulating improvement procedures and measures to prevent work-related accidents, and reviewing their implementation and effectiveness.

In the year under review, the Group held two meetings to review the safety performance of the DSD's construction sites and staff, and to formulate new safety initiatives and safety promotion programmes.

Research and Development Steering Committee

Led by the Deputy Director, the Committee is responsible for conducting research in support of the DSD's development plans. The Committee consists of two teams which coordinate research in civil engineering and electrical and mechanical engineering respectively.

In the year under review, the Committee held six meetings and participated in the organisation of the 8th International Water Association Asia Pacific Regional Group Conference and Exhibition in Hong Kong. During the year, the DSD completed a total of 12 research projects on topics covering ecological survey and assessment for Yuen Long Bypass Floodway, site trials on ecological enhancement in river channel, aerobic granular sludge in wastewater treatment, inclined plate settler technology for primary sedimentation, hydraulic filter press, odour control and study of hydrogel on Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment sludge, and ecological and health risk assessment of major persistent toxic substances in Deep Bay Area.

Energy and Emission Management Team

Energy saving and emission reduction are key environmental issues addressed by the DSD. Chaired by the Assistant Director/Electrical and Mechanical, the Team helps improve the DSD's energy and emission performance through identifying emission sources, benchmarking performance, implementing improvement measures, and sharing professional knowledge.

In the year under review, the Team held one meeting to discuss various topics, including energy conservation measures and targets, and applications of renewable energy.

Taskforce on Sustainability Reporting

Chaired by the Deputy Director, the Taskforce gives comments and makes decisions in relation to the preparation of our sustainability report. These include selecting the international guidelines to be adopted for reporting, defining stakeholder engagement plans, and identifying material topics.

Integrated Management System

The DSD has been building and implementing management systems in line with international standards since 2002. To date, we have put in place an integrated management system made up of multiple systems that cover the aspects of quality, environment and occupational safety and health.

Adhering to the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” approach, we continuously improve our management systems. In 2018, the DSD had successfully upgraded ISO 9001 Quality Management System and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System to conform to new standards of ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015. In the year under review, an internal review was conducted on OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System with a mission to facilitate smooth transition to meet requirements of ISO 45001:2018 by March 2021.

Facing the challenges posed by climate change and urban development, we strive to optimise our asset management to reduce operational costs. In July 2019, all the DSD-owned sewage treatment works (STWs), sewage pumping stations (SPSs), and stormwater pumping stations, except six STWs and SPSs which are being operated under “Design, Build and Operate” contracts or being under upgrading projects, passed the certification audit for ISO 55001 Asset Management System, making us one of the first government departments to obtain such accreditation.