Official Receiver’s Office Controlling Officer’s Environmental Report 2023 Introduction As a government department, green management is one of the major commitments of the Official Receiver’s Office (ORO). We regularly review and make continuous improvements to ensure that our resources are used in an environmentally responsible manner. In this environmental report, we set out our Department’s environmental policy and commitments, its performance for 2023, as well as our target for 2024. Business Activities ORO is responsible for the effective administration of insolvency matters pertaining to compulsory liquidation of companies and individual bankruptcies. ORO has a staff establishment of 281 (as at 31 December 2023) and it operates mainly in Queensway Government Offices (QGO) and has a sub-office in Immigration Tower, Hong Kong. Environmental Policy While the business activities of ORO are primarily office-based and do not give rise to any significant and direct environmental concerns, we still attach great importance to environmental protection and energy conservation in our daily work. ORO is committed to adopting good environmental practices in the administration of insolvency cases, fostering an environmentally responsible culture among staff, including energy saving, waste reduction, recycling, green procurement, awareness on green management, etc. We endeavour to meet the commitment of the Clean Air Charter by implementing plans and measures to reduce air pollutant emissions in our operations. We continue to participate in the “Indoor Air Quality Certification Scheme for Offices and Public Places” administered by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and have been awarded “Good Class” Indoor Air Quality Certificates in respect of the floors occupied by ORO in QGO and Immigration Tower. Major Green Housekeeping Practices A departmental Green Manager has been appointed to coordinate and review various environmental practices and initiatives which are commonly adopted in office-based activities. The following are some of our major green practices – Paper Saving Greater use of information technology for both internal and external communication / transaction, including – using emails instead of paper correspondence for internal communication. sharing documents and information (e.g. departmental circulars and telephone list) among staff via the Local Area Network (LAN). providing on-line application for non-bankruptcy certificate, search of records of bankruptcy and compulsory winding-up cases as well electronic submission and payment for proof of debt. uploading Guides on Bankruptcy, Compulsory Winding-up of Companies and other relevant information onto the Internet for public reference. implementing SMS messaging measures to provide self-petition bankrupts with a hyperlink to our relevant publications which are available on the Internet. use of e-cards during festive seasons instead of paper greeting cards. sending email reminders for appointment booking for attestation services of debtor's bankruptcy petition. implementing an Electronic Submission System (ESS) for submissions of documents in electronic means by stakeholders. implementing an Electronic Recordkeeping System (ERKS) for government records. Greater use of the blank side of used paper for drafting, faxing, printing and photocopying documents. Greater use of used envelopes, loose minute jackets and transit envelopes. Adopt electronic templates for letterheads, memoranda and forms to minimize pre-printing of stock. Not using envelopes for unclassified documents. Less use of printed stationery such as forms, paper file jackets and tags. Less production of photocopies of documents and if necessary, make photocopies on both sides of the paper. Avoid sending original documents if they have already been sent by fax. Minimize the use of fax covers. Request fewer hard copy of government newsletters and publications. View and edit documents through electronic means. Preview documents before printing and adjust the page margin with a view to saving papers. Energy Saving Adopt open office design in new offices to optimise the use of natural light. Use automatic lighting control such as motion detection and daylight detection to avoid unnecessary lighting. Adopt sectional lighting in open offices and switch off unnecessary lighting when area is not in use. Switch off computers and office equipment outside office hours or switch to energy saving mode when they are not in use. Replace T8 fluorescent tubes by more efficient T5 type. Greater use of energy saving lighting tubes. Switch off idling engine of the departmental car and to reduce fuel consumption by rationalising duty routes to be taken. Properly maintain the departmental car in order to reduce future repair and save energy. Maintain room temperature at 25.5℃ in office area. Use venetian blinds to adjust the penetration of sunlight to suit different seasons. Arrange for the last man out to check and switch off all lighting and office equipment. Encourage staff to use public transport whenever possible. Identify and replace equipment that is not operating well. Work closely with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department to identify and adopt more energy saving options. Encourage staff to adopt and support the “Dress Down in Summer” promoted by the Civil Service Bureau. Waste Reduction/Recycling Place recycling bins in office areas for paper, plastic and metal. Arrange contractors to regularly collect waste paper, documents of closed cases, used printer cartridges and office furniture, etc. for recycling on a regular basis. Reuse decorative accessories for festival decorations. Reuse containers for hand sanitizer. Place green trays besides photocopiers and LAN laser printers for holding papers used on one side for reuse by colleagues. Reuse durable stationery. Arrange immediate consumption of stock that is about to expire to avoid wastage. Use reusable tableware in official functions. Avoid using bottled water/beverages or disposable paper cups. Provide drinking water in glasses and encourage staff to bring their own bottles for drinking water. Repair old furniture and equipment where possible. Maximize the use of each cell of the transit envelope. Use auto-sensitised water tap in toilets to reduce water consumption. Encourage staff to participate in volunteer services for resources conservation. Green Procurement Purchase of energy-saving office equipment and electrical appliances with Grade 1 Energy Label. Purchase of refillable stationery and sanitisation items. Purchase of recyclable/green products, e.g. recyclable or wood-free paper and file jackets and recyclable laser printer cartridges. Adopt green specifications/requirements for products and services promulgated by the EPD in procurement exercises as far as possible. Plan to replace the existing departmental car by electric vehicle. Green Office Environment Keep potted plants in the office. Improve air quality by using air purifiers in the workplace. Conduct indoor air quality check periodically. Clean air ducts regularly with a view to maintaining good air ventilation. Arrange regular cleaning of carpets. Maintain a smoke-free and clean work place. Conduct regular checking on energy-saving measures implemented in the Office. Reuse carton boxes for storage. Staff Awareness on Green Management Continue to encourage staff to reduce waste, use recycled products and adopt good environmental practices. Display posters and notices on green management topics in office premises to enhance staff awareness of environmental concerns. Encourage staff to give practical suggestions on enhancing green management in the office practices. More participation in Green Management Seminars by relevant staff. Preserving Biodiversity Food items such as shark’s fin and bluefin tuna are not included in the menus of official entertainment functions. Environmental Performance and Targets The following statistics provide some indications on ORO’s environmental performance in 2023 and the target for 2024 – Performance in 2023 Target for 2024 Percentage Change Paper consumption (reams) 7 970 7 890 -1% Envelope consumption (no.) 246 875 244 400 -1% Waste paper collection (kg) 10 007 10 200 +2% Fuel consumption (litre) of the departmental car 1 579 1 547 -2% The electricity consumption of ORO’s premises in Financial Year (FY) 2023-24 as compared with FY 2018-19 (as baseline) is tabulated below – FY Electricity consumption after normalization under comparable operating conditions Energy performance (% change compared with FY 2018-19) FY 2018-19 (baseline) 78 973 N/A FY 2023-24 59 019 -25% The Way Forward ORO will continue to shoulder its environmental responsibilities in adopting effective measures for green management in our workplace. We will continue to explore new ideas in our efforts to be more efficient in the use of resources. Comment and Suggestion If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to the ORO’s Green Manager – By mail : 10/F, High Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong By fax : 3105 1814 By email : oroadmin@oro.gov.hk 1 Electricity consumption of ORO’s premise in joint-user government buildings such as Queensway Government Offices, Immigration Tower and Sai Kung Government Offices managed by the Government Property Agency is not covered in this report. Currently, we have one leased premises in The Rays, Kwun Tong with separate meter account. 2 The Government has announced a new “Green Energy Target” in the 2019 Policy Address which seeks to further improve its use of energy by 6% for the period FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 under comparable operating conditions in FY 2018-19 as the baseline.