The world's local bank
Green Enterprise
HSBC has been awarded 2007/2008 Green Enterprise of the Year: Grand Award of the "One Factory-One Year-One Environmental Project" Programme (One-One-One Programme) for its green leadership and contributions to improving the environment through a variety of sustainable initiatives.
The "One-One-One Programme" was organised by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries aiming to reduce pollution that is affecting residents in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region. HSBC has been consistent in pursuing such a goal, with key projects focusing on energy conservation, waste reduction and recycling, environmental management, and proactive stakeholder engagement efforts which motivate both employees and suppliers to take environmental action.
"It is our top level and long-term commitment on sustainability, the depth and breadth of our environmental strategies, the successful engagement of key stakeholders in our initiatives, and, the ability to innovate and pioneer green products and service to support our clients to contribute better to the community and the environment, that has set us, HSBC, apart from our competition."
Teresa Au
Head of Corporate Sustainability Asia Pacific Region
Highlights of some environmental protection projects undertaken by HSBC over the years:
- HSBC aims at reducing energy consumption and subsequent carbon dioxide emissions by replacing energy-guzzling systems with energy-savings systems, especially in lighting control (e.g., T5 fluorescent lamps, LED and photo sensors) and using variable speed drive technology for chiller water pumps and motors.
- Piloted implementation of GoMixer, an organic waste disposal system and later applied new vermiculture technology to convert organic kitchen waste to organic fertiliser.
- Recycle office equipment and used goods to reduce usage and wastage, including paper, cans/tins, plastic bottles, newspaper/cardboard, as well as glass bottles and polystyrene.
- Launched Managed Print Service which uses multi-functional all-in-one devices to replace old printers, copiers, scanners, and fax machines to manage the bank's carbon footprint.
- HSBC integrates environmental management into its daily operations and purchasing decisions as well as across all employee activities.
- From 2006, the bank also began implementing the ISO 14001 certified Environmental Management System to help enhance its environmental performance.
- HSBC has ensured suppliers to meet targets set by the bank and to report on a quarterly basis their progress towards achieving the targets. Environmental criteria are included in tenders and contracts, and environmentally-friendly materials are used wherever possible.
- Under the HSBC and Climate Partners programme, public members, HSBC colleagues and their family members have signed up as Climate Partners and have engaged in easy- and fun-to-follow thematic learning from the website as well as community activities in order to promote a low-carbon lifestyle
- To engage the customers, HSBC has launched Green Credit Card, Green Equipment Financing and Green Travel Insurance
- HSBC was the world's first bank and FTSE 100 Company to go carbon neutral in 2005.
- The new HSBC's Tseung Kwan O Data Centre has achieved the rating of Gold Standard of the HK-BEAM Society. Green features include rainwater irrigation system and water-cooled chillers for air-conditioning.
Teresa Au (left), Head of Corporate Sustainability Asia Pacific Region received the Green Enterprise of the Year: Grand Award of the "One Factory-One Year-One Environmental Project" Programme from Prof K C Chan (middle), Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and Daniel Cheng (right), FHKI deputy-chairman.
Energy-saving systems, especially in lighting control (eg energy-saving bulbs and LED) are implemented in HSBC office buildings.
The data centre located in Tseung Kwan O has achieved the rating of Gold Standard of the HK-BEAM Society.
Different types of green activities are organised during the World Environmental Month (June) to engage colleagues, eg environmental roadshows.
FSC-certified paper is used in corporate publications and marketing materials.
Green Corner in the HSBC Main Building provides a platform for colleagues to share information on environmental protection and green initiatives of the Bank.
Vermiculture technology, which uses earthworms to convert organic food waste from kitchens to organic fertilizer, is used as part of the Bank's efforts to reduce waste going to Hong Kong's landfills.
Managed Print Service was launched to reduce the amount of equipment, consumption of electricity, toner cartridges and paper, and maintenance cost.
