Environmental Policy

Introduction

The Legal Aid Department is committed to ensuring its operation, business and activities are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner. The Department acts consciously in observing environmental principles in minimizing waste, conserving energy, promoting "reuse" and "recycle" of resources and promoting staff awareness and participation in conserving the environment. The Department regularly reviews and makes continuous improvements in using our resources in an efficient and green manner.

Since the Department operates under an office type environment, the major environmental impacts are mainly confined to consumption of utilities such as water and electricity and office stationery such as paper. At present, the consumption level of office stationery in the Department is closely monitored. Staff members are also regularly reminded to economize use of resources and reduce waste production.

On the other hand, some staff need to perform outdoor duties such as conducting interviews with legal aid clients in custody, delivering and collecting documents, serving court documents on opposite parties, and collecting case-related information, etc. Since transportation service is required for the discharge of such duties, the Department has encouraged the use of public transports by staff to minimize air pollution caused by exhaust emissions of vehicles.

Environmental Policy

For the benefits of the community at large, the Department is committed to implementing environmental protection initiatives to improve its environmental performance by adopting the following measures :

(a)	complying with relevant environmental protection ordinances;
(b)	maintaining a clean office environment which is smoke free;
(c)	reminding staff to be environmentally conscious for continuous improvement in protecting the environment and preventing pollution both at place of work and at home;
(d)	encouraging staff to contribute suggestions on improving and promoting environmental protection through the Staff Suggestion Scheme;
(e)	continuously communicating and making available Environmental Policy and work progress of the Department's performance in environmental protection both externally to the general public and all interested parties and internally to our staff;
(f)	taking into consideration environmental protection measures in the procurement of stores and office stationery by actively choosing green products where practicable or economically viable;
(g)	ensuring the best use of resources by recycling and economy in electricity, paper and water consumption, e.g. using both sides of paper, transmitting documents by electronic mail;
(h)	adopting various measures to minimize air pollution caused by exhaust emissions of vehicles and the following are some examples: encouraging staff to utilize environmental friendly public transport and reduce use of pool transport or departmental vehicles while performing outdoor duties;
(i)	designating the Departmental Secretary as the Green Manager of the Department and appointing Environmental Officer in each Section to implement and monitor environmental initiatives; and
(j)	involving top management to regularly review existing environmental targets and action plans and to initiate new plans where appropriate, so as to keep in line with the government's long-term strategy on the environment and sustainable development.