Sustainability Advisory Board

The Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) was established in 2002 to undertake the stakeholder dialogue for the planning and development of the Tung Chung cable-car, a tourism project for which the Corporation has overall responsibility for planning and development. The purpose of the dialogue is to ensure that the development of the project is undertaken in ways that are consistent with the principles of sustainability. The SAB also promotes local programmes running in parallel to development which serve to educate both staff and the immediate community on the project and the sustainability issues involved.

 

The cable-car project comprises a 5.7km cableway linking the two terminals at Tung Chung and Ngong Ping, the village adjacent to Po Lin Monastery and where the world's largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha statue is located. Next to the new Ngong Ping Station will be a themed village that provides leisure activities in keeping with the religious theme of Buddhism.

 

The SAB consists of a 22-member Board that involves Government, environmentalists, consultants, builders, the Corporation, and the local businesses, religious and residential communities in the decision-making processes and ensures the transparency in project decisions and the subsequent actions taken. The members and their respective organisations are successfully monitoring the project so as to sustain minimum environmental and social impacts, initiate best of practice in construction and, most importantly, through mutual consensus arrive at a balance between environmental issues and the burden of extra costs and project delays.

 

To monitor project activities and measure performance against desired targets, a set of 25 indicators have been developed supported by an underlying process and system for data accumulation and assessment. These indicators are organised into five major categories that affect sustainable practices and stakeholder interests:
•  Economic aspects
•  Environmental impacts
•  Social and community impacts
•  Educational initiatives
•  Community indicators

 

The SAB's success is underpinned by the Stakeholder Management Plan (SMP) developed by the MTR Corporation specifically for this project. The Plan appoints a general manager who oversees appointed stakeholder representatives and coordinates activities which include prioritisation of stakeholders and the generic strategies for obtaining support or reducing obstacles to the project from them. Regular meetings are held to share developments, identify problem areas, agree on resolutions and ensure that proper resources are allocated.

 

The success of this proactive framework for managing project impact and stakeholder expectations will serve as a model for managing stakeholder engagement in future projects both within Hong Kong and in our international markets.