To encourage all policy secretaries and heads of department to consider the environmental implications of their policies and programmes, the Administration has placed a requirement for them to publish annual environmental reports, a spokesman for the Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau said today (Sunday).
Without such environmental awareness the goal of achieving sustainable development would be unobtainable, he said.
The first reports, reporting on the 1999 calendar year, should be published during the year 2000.
The spokesman said that the proposal was contained in the Policy Objectives released at the time of the Chief Executive's 1998 Policy Address.
Since then the bureau and Environmental Protection Department (EPD) have been preparing a booklet entitled 'A Guide to Environmental Reporting for Controlling Officers' and conducting briefing sessions.
Three briefing sessions, two for government bureaux and departments and one for government-owned public corporations have been held.
"We have been very encouraged by the positive response," said the spokesman. "Some departments, such as the Architectural Services Department and the Government Supplies Department, have already produced environmental reports on their own initiative." He added that some public corporations are equally advanced.
The spokesman added, "Many departments are already doing a good job in taking the environment into account. The Environmental Report will be a good opportunity to show others what they are doing."
The EPD publication "A Guide to Environmental Reporting for Controlling Officers" is available at the Government website http://www.info.gov.hk/epd
"Private companies are welcome to use this guide to help prepare their own environmental reports," the spokesman said.
End/Sunday, April 4, 1999
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