Gearing up for extreme weather events

The celebration of Earth Day and World Environment Day in the last quarter inspired us to reinforce our commitment to environmental stewardship and take tangible steps toward a more resilient future. With the typhoon season approaching and above-normal temperatures forecasted this year, it reminds us to stay vigilant and prepared for potential disruptions caused by severe weather events. 

To enhance our readiness and preparedness for the typhoon and rainy seasons, HKIA conducted the "Summer Blow 2024" exercise in March, involving nearly 700 participants from 27 government departments and the airport community. This exercise refined contingency scenarios for inclement weather and strengthened collaboration among various departments. In addition to preparing for unexpected acute climate risks, AAHK is also actively working on decarbonisation measures. The key updates are highlighted as follows: 

• HKIA Carbon Capacity Building Programme (CCBP) – Organised the twelfth event with the theme of "Carbon Markets 101". This training provided an overview to help our business partners understand the trends of global compliance and voluntary carbon markets and latest regional and local developments. 
   
• Awareness training on single-use plastics – An awareness training session for airport tenants was delivered by Hong Kong Productivity Council in May regarding the government's ban on single-use plastics, to brief them on the regulatory framework, alternative solutions, and case sharing. 
   
• Continuous contribution to fisheries enhancement – With funding support from AAHK’s Fisheries Enhancement Fund, a team at The University of Hong Kong has developed a farming system for one of the threatened species of sea cucumber and has been training local fishermen to apply the aquaculture methods in sea cucumber farming. 
   
• Updates on the Energy Guidelines – In March, AAHK expanded our Energy Guidelines to cover retrofitting projects. The revised guidelines incorporate the 'Zero-Carbon-Ready' concept, providing the necessary tools to facilitate decarbonisation and achieve net zero carbon. 
   
• Awards and recognitions – we are pleased to highlight the recent accolades recognising AAHK's sustainability leadership in the industry. 
   
  • ACI Green Airports Recognition 2024 – Platinum award (over 35 million passengers per annum category) for the voluntary and continuous efforts to explore and enhance local marine biodiversity and fisheries resources around HKIA and North Lantau waters. 
     
  • HKGBC BEAM Plus New Building V1.2 Scheme 
    • AsiaWorld-Expo Phase 2 - Provisional Platinum
    • HKIA Tower Two – Final Gold
       
  • The Asset Country Awards for Sustainable Finance 2024 – Best Green Bond – Public Sector  
     
  • HR Excellence Awards 2023/24 – Best Green Bond – Public Sector
    • “Elite” prize in the Grand Award of ESG Initiatives category  
    • “Elite” prize in the Best Workplace Award category 

As usual, we are looking forward to discovering new and interesting avenues for collaboration with our airport business partners as we continue our pathway toward a more sustainable and resilient airport. 


Peter Lee 
General Manager, Sustainability 
Airport Authority Hong Kong  

Cathay Cargo Terminal adopts 50% Recycled Plastic Cover Sheets

Q & A with Michelle Fok, Head of Sustainable Development, Cathay Subsidiaries Services
 
Q: Can you provide an overview of the initiative to adopt 50% recycled plastic cargo cover sheets at Cathay Cargo Terminal?  

A: We are proud to announce that Cathay Cargo Terminal becomes the first cargo terminal in Hong Kong to adopt 50% recycled plastic cargo cover sheets for all export cargo shipments built up within its terminal, increasing from its current specifications of no less than 30% recycled content. We recognise that the use of cargo cover sheets and stretch film is unavoidable in the international air cargo handling industry. As such, we have closely collaborated with various parties to ensure recycling at our cargo break-down area, integrated recycling into our standard operating procedures, and provided training to our staff. 

Q: What were the main drivers behind this decision?

A: Sustainability is one of the core management philosophies at the Cathay Cargo Terminal, we always want to explore and take initiatives that echo and align with the Group’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sets a new industry standard. Our decision to adopt 50% recycled plastic cargo cover sheets is driven by our dedication to achieving corporate waste diversion and single-use plastics targets. By avoiding virgin plastics, we aim to reduce fossil fuel demand and environmental impact. Additionally, our established recycling process for plastic cargo cover sheets and stretch films consistently yields good results, capturing the opportunity to achieve a circular economy and furthering our dedication to sustainability in cargo operations. 

Q: Can you discuss any specific challenges faced during the implementation of this initiative and how they were overcome?  

A: The increased recycled content introduced uncertainties, and we did face several challenges during the course. Transitioning from 30% to 50% recycled content involved extensive testing, including lab tests and live trials with different compositions of materials. Partnering with Cathay, we sent the sheets to different destinations with diverse weather conditions to gather feedback from outport handlers.  

We did encounter issues that certain combinations were proved fragile during manufacturing and use due to the unpredictable quality of recycled materials, we thus implemented segregation work during processing and conducted supplier factory visits to ensure quality control. Despite these challenges, this yearlong project was finally proved to be a success, demonstrating the progressive and forward-thinking culture of Cathay Cargo Terminal. 

Q: What plans are in place to further reduce the use of plastics in cargo operations at Cathay Cargo Terminal?

A: Reducing the use of plastics in cargo operations remains a significant challenge as the use of plastics is still a common practice in our industry.  At Cathay Cargo Terminal, we are leveraging our connections within the international air cargo handling community to foster global collaborations. To enhance recycling efforts, we are expanding our recycling facilities and educating our staff on proper recycling practices. Given the quality constraints that prevent reuse, circularity continues to be our key strategy for operational plastics. We are excited to announce that we have identified the next plastic material for our circularity project—stay tuned for more updates.   

Read more

HKEX Aligns Climate Disclosure Rules with IFRS Standards

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) has released Consultation Conclusions outlining new requirements for climate-related disclosures by listed companies. Following consultation, the new rules align HKEX's disclosure requirements with the International Sustainability Standards Board's IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures (IFRS S2) to the greatest extent possible. 

The enhanced requirements substantially increase climate disclosure obligations under the HKEX Main Board and Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) Listing Rules. This includes mandating disclosure of financial impacts of climate risks and opportunities, climate scenario analysis, and greenhouse gas emissions data. Implementation reliefs are provided to address potential challenges. 

The amended listing rules will take effect on 1 January, 2025. A phased approach divides HKEX issuers into three tiers with differentiated mandatory, "comply or explain", or voluntary disclosure requirements. This aims to assist companies in transitioning to the new climate reporting standards. 

Additionally, HKEX has issued Implementation Guidance to help listed issuers understand, interpret, and implement the new climate disclosure requirements under its ESG reporting framework. The enhanced rules align Hong Kong with global standards and strengthen climate risk transparency.

Read more

Photo Source: HKEX LinkedIn