Water

GRI 303
HKEX Aspect A2, KPI A2.4, A3.1

We monitor water consumption in our buildings and utilise such water-saving mechanisms as water meters, water flow regulators, automatic taps and automatic flush toilets and urinals. In 2021, we signed on to the Enterprises Cherish Water (“ECH₂O”) campaign, organised by an environmental NGO and the Hong Kong government’s Water Supplies Department to promote better water management in our buildings.

We regularly encourage our employees and tenants to save water. We also urge our tenants to have in place internal guidelines on fresh and flushing water, as these help us comply with enhancements to the Hong Kong government’s voluntary “Quality Water Supply Scheme for Buildings”.

We aim to manage water risk and reduce overall water consumption under the Water focus area. The relevant SDGs are:

SDG 6

Ensuring availability and sustainable water management.

SDG 12

Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Water Policy

Our Water Policy focuses on reducing our water consumption intensity. Pursuant to this policy, we aim to design and implement efficient water management measures across our operations and encourage our employees and tenants to consume water responsibly, among other action items.

Water Recycling

Several of our properties have grey water treatment and recycling systems in place. The system at Oxford House at Taikoo Place collects, treats and reuses pantry wastewater from office tenants for cleaning purposes, at an annual recycling volume of 300m³. Several Chinese Mainland properties including Taikoo Hui, INDIGO, Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu and HKRI Taikoo Hui have installed systems to collect and treat wastewater and rainwater for toilet flushing and plant irrigation. One Taikoo Place also has a system that collects rainwater which is then recycled and used to irrigate the gardens and green spaces at Taikoo Square and around One Taikoo Place.

We continued to explore any opportunities to save water this year, whether by upgrading or changing maintenance procedures for our equipment, or through new practices in our daily operations. In addition to running a trial programme where we adjusted the cleaning schedule for cooling towers, this year we also partnered with Tsinghua University to begin a study of how our cooling tower water consumption could be reduced. Using simulations, the study will analyse water-use patterns and generate suggestions for optimal practices in different portfolios. We are also in the early stages of exploring the concept of water neutrality, with a view to properly define the scope as it applies to the Company so we may begin to use it in our operations.

Water-Saving Pilot Scheme

In mid-2020 we launched a Water Pilot Scheme to promote water efficiency and raise awareness about the importance of conserving water. This pilot concluded in August 2021. 0 office tenants participated in the scheme, which involved installing water efficient fittings and wireless water sub-meters to monitor water consumption on their premises to help us understand water consumption behaviour and explore opportunities to reduce water consumption. The scheme received a positive response, and the data collected will be used to inform the development of our Green Performance Pledge. We will also be providing free smart water meters to all our office tenants in the future, beginning with Taikoo Place.

Sustainable Bathrooms at Taikoo Hui

Taikoo Hui in Guangzhou redesigns and renovates one set of bathrooms each year. This year, the bathrooms on the MU level were redesigned using a “sustainable development” theme. The newly renovated restroom is the first public convenience facility in a commercial complex in Guangzhou to be recognised by the Guangzhou Emissions Exchange for outstanding performance in carbon neutrality.

This redesign included a variety of features that reduce water consumption and promote sustainability, including:

Plentiful indoor greenery.
Installing water-free urinals with special filtration systems to eliminate odours.
Installing water-saving toilets that reduce the volume of flushing water from 7 litres to 4.8 litres per flush.
Using integrated water faucets and hand-dryers to reduce paper use.
Use of sustainable materials throughout, such as GRG walls and ceilings, composite cement walls, and high-pressure laminated toilet cubicles.

This renovation will result in projected overall water savings of around 2,400 m³ per year.

New Water Leak Detection System at Cityplaza

In tandem with the new wireless platform for IAQ monitoring at Cityplaza, we plan to implement water leakage detection sensors into the same platform to reduce the consequences of water leaks and accelerate remedial or rectification action when dealing with leak incidents. Through early detection in key locations such as plant rooms and tenancy areas, we can act quickly to stop and fix water leaks. This part of the system is expected to be ready by Q2 of 2022.