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Our
concern for the environment begins with
our own operations and extends into our
relationships with customers, suppliers
and the wider community. We continue to
take actions to minimise the negative impacts
of our business, engage in activities that
have a positive effect on the environment
and promote greater responsibility through
our investment and financing policies. |
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The Bank set up its Environmental Policy and the Environmental Management Committee in 2003, which implements and monitors our environmental management system, particularly compliance with ISO 14001 requirements. |
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Launched
in 2003, our 'HANG SENG Go Green Staff
Awareness Campaign' encourages employees
to strive for continual improvement in
environmental performance and helps raise
awareness through various staff communication
channels. Our Chief Operating Officer is
the Bank's Green Champion. |
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Initiatives taken in 2008 include upgrading our
headquarters building management system
and installing energy-saving lighting system. In 2007 and 2008, the Bank reduced
electricity consumption by 0.4% per FTE
and 0.6% per FTE respectively. |
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In 2008, we replaced the air-cooled chillers in our headquarters building with water-cooled ones.
This will cut our electricity consumption by about 1.9 million kWh per year, resulting in an annual saving of
HK$2.4 million in energy costs and reducing our carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,700 tonnes. |
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We
continually monitor our use of resources
and encouraging the adoption of recycled
or environmentally responsible materials.
We have an established system for paper,
plastic, aluminum can and spent battery
recycling and make efforts to find a new
home for equipment and materials that we
no longer use. We have achieved recycling rates of 90 per cent for toner and printer ink cartridges and 98 per cent for obsolete computer equipment. Our electronic document initiatives are saving about 10 million sheets of paper a year.
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We
work with environmental organisations and
our suppliers on enhancing our efforts
to help conserve biodiversity. As part
of these efforts, we do not serve shark's
fin, endangered reef fish species or black
moss at any Hang Seng function. |
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Social
and environmental considerations form an
important part of our lending and financing
polices and we incorporate environmental
risk assessments into our credit decisions.
We support the Equator Principles, which
are used to assess and manage environmental
and social risks in project financing.
We also have guidelines for lending to
companies in environmentally sensitive
sectors such as the chemical industry,
forestry and freshwater infrastructure. |
 Environment
Activities
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In January 2006,
we launched a campaign to encourage customers
and shareholders to reduce their consumption
of paper resources. We pledged to plant
one tree for every shareholder who opted
to receive Hang Seng shareholder communication
materials in electronic format and for
every 10 Hang Seng Personal e-Banking
customers who switched from paper to
electronic statements under our e-Statement
service, up to a total of 10,000 trees. |
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Since 1999, total plumber of trees the Bank has planted 60,000 trees |
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More than 220,000 Personal
e-Banking accounts and 2,700 shareholders
now receive materials electronically,
resulting in an annual saving of about
10 million sheets of paper. |
Eco-Explorer
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Organised by Friends
of the Earth (Hong Kong), Hang Seng sponsored
the 'Eco-Explorer' environmental education
programme that provides Internet-based
support for Primary Three to Form Two
students to explore the environment through
on-site observation. |
No
Hill Fire in Ching Ming
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Hang Seng sponsored 'No Hill Fire in
Ching Ming' organised by The Conservancy
Association in March 2008. Volunteers from the Bank
helped to distribute hill fire prevention
leaflets to villagers in the New Territories
during the Festival. |
Biogas
Toilet Project
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In 2008, the Bank
financed the construction of about 300 biogas
toilets for about 1,200 villagers in
Yenshan, Yunnan. Under the project methane
- which is released from pig manure and
human
waste collected in a specially-designed
underground pit - is channelled to provide
a free and stable energy supply for cooking
and lighting. The project helps save 750 tons of firewood every year (equivalent
to 30 acres of forest) and reduce carbon
dioxide emissions by 3,750 tons every
year. The project was initated by the
Conservancy Association. |
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The biogas toilets
were built with the help of a team of
Bank volunteers. |
Tree Lovers Day
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The Bank sponsored the Conservation Association to hold a "Tree Lovers Day" at Kowloon Park to promote the conservation of trees to the public. |
Environmental
Awards
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The Bank's "Hang Seng Go Green" programme received a Silver
Award at the 8th China Golden Awards for Excellence in Public Relations organized by the China
International Public Relations Association. |
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In 2007, Hang
Seng Bank was named the winner of the
award for Environmental Excellence at
the 2007 Asian CSR Awards organised by
the Centre for Corporate Responsibility
of the Asian Institute of Management.
The Bank also won an Environmental Performance
Certificate of Merit at the Hong Kong
Awards for Industries. |
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In 2006, Hang Seng was named
Green Enterprise of the Year by the Federation
of Hong Kong Industries for its sound
environmental practices. |
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In 2005, the Bank became the
first local financial institution to
receive ISO 14001 certification. |
Environment
Performance
|
| |
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2008
vs 2007
|
2008
vs 2006
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Greenhouse
gas emission per person (tonnes CO2/
FTE)
|
3.28
|
3.3
|
3.3
|
3.6
|
-0.6%
|
-0.6%
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Greenhouse
gas emission per m2 (tonnes CO2/ m2)
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
0.21
|
0
|
0%
|
| Greenhouse
gas emission (kilotonnes CO2) |
27.4
|
26.7
|
25.3
|
26.4
|
+2.6%
|
+8.3%
|
Electricity
consumption (GWh)
|
38.1
|
35.9
|
34.1
|
33.3
|
+6.1%
|
+11.7%
|
Gas
consumption (GWh)
|
0.42
|
0.7
|
0.82
|
0.86
|
-40.0%
|
-48.8%
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Water
consumption (000 m3)
|
50.8
|
54.1
|
70.4
|
91.1
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-6.1%
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-27.8%
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IT
/ electrical waste reused (tonnes)
|
64.9
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59.0
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41.7
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38.8
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+10.1%
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+55.6%
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Data coverage
: Hang Seng Bank's Hong Kong operations
Abbreviations
CO2: carbon dioxide
FTE : full-time equivalents
GWh : gigawatt-hours
m2 : square metres
m3 : cubic metres |
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