Transport and Sustainability

In Hong Kong, the general transport strategy is expressed under Government's Comprehensive Transport Strategy (CTS- 3) supported by the more specific rail strategy laid out in the Rail Development Strategy 2000 (RDS-2). The Government's overarching policy is to give rail the priority in transport infrastructure development so as to enable the two networks (MTR and KCR) to carry up to 40-50% of all public transport journeys by the year 2016. Under the supporting RDS the existing overall rail network will increase by some 40% to meet these needs and expectations. To achieve this target, six areas of new and upgraded lines have been identified and are currently under consideration or at proposal or tendering stage.

In addition to an emphasis on rail, the strategy addresses:
• Better integration of transport and land use
• Improvement of public transport services and facilities
• Use of advanced transport technologies in transport management
• Better environmental protection and practices

Our city's transport issues, due to closer economic ties with mainland China, have in recent years moved beyond the physical boundaries of Hong Kong extending into the Pearl River Delta region. Shared transport issues such as traffic congestion and bottlenecks, overused and poorly planned road systems, traffic-related pollution, and fuel and vehicle standards are only a few of the issues that require the cross border co-operation of authorities to find sustainable solutions. Although meaningful dialogue and initiatives have been collectively tabled, progress in formalising and implementing appropriate solutions have been slow due to other environmental priorities for the region.

Company initiatives
The MTR Corporation aspires to be a global leader in the field of sustainable mass transit systems. To this end we actively subscribe to international initiatives that bring meaningful dialogue and action to sustainability practices within the global industry and in particular within the communities in which we operate.

The MTR Corporation is a signatory member of the UITP Charter on Sustainable Development, which specifically focuses on our industry. Our commitment to the Charter has supported the transparency of our reporting, internationalised our internal management processes, and most recently, influenced stakeholder engagement practices.

The Corporation in 2004 completed its first five years of annual sustainability reporting, the last four being in accordance with GRI Guidelines. We currently rank amongst the top 100 companies globally in reporting under these guidelines.

The World Economic Forum's Framework for Corporate Citizenship has been included in our 2004 Sustainability Report as part of our report indicators for sustainable best practice during the year.

On a regional basis, we have been invited to present our sustainability business model to the corporate members of the Pacific Basin Environmental Council (PBEC), an organisation which seeks to co-ordinate the private sector in efforts to find sustainable solutions to climate change, corporation-generated environmental impacts and to collectively influence public policy in these areas.

Locally, the Corporation is a member of numerous organisations and committees that influence transport and environmental policies as well as conducting ongoing programmes to educate staff, business partners, contractors and academics on best practice and the application of sustainability skills at the work site.