(Application Deadline: 31 December 2021)
Please complete and submit the below online application form.
Please select one of the following sectors:
HKAEE Schemes
Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE)
Aims and Eligibility
AIMS
The Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE) aims to:
- encourage businesses and organisations to adopt green management;
- benchmark their commitments towards best practices within their sectors; and
- recognise and acknowledge the efforts of leading businesses and organisations.
ELIGIBILITY
All businesses / organisations and their functional units operating primarily within Hong Kong with their core business fulfilling the definition of respective sector are eligible to apply for the HKAEE. Functional units within an organisation can enter the same or separate sectors but each functional unit is limited to enter into one sector only. A functional unit of an organisation will not be allowed to enter into the same sector if the organisation as a whole has already filed an application for such sector or vice versa. If an organisation has multiple functional units intending to join the same sector, each functional unit should demonstrate that it has its own environmental initiatives within its operation before being considered admissible to the HKAEE.
To encourage wider participation, the Gold Award winner of each sector / sub-sector of the previous year will not be eligible for entering the HKAEE within the next two years. In other words, Gold Award winners of 2019 and 2020 HKAEE will not be eligible for entering 2021 HKAEE, and Gold Award winners of 2021 HKAEE will not be eligible for entering 2022 and 2023 HKAEE.
The Organisers reserve the right to determine the eligibility of any applicant.
Assessment
In 2021, there are 11 sectors designated for large organisations and 4 sectors designated for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)@.
The 11 Sectors for non-SMEs are:
- Construction Industry *;
- Hotels and Recreational Clubs;
- Manufacturing and Industrial Services ^;
- Media and Communication;
- Property Management (Commercial & Industrial (C&I) / Residential);
- Public and Community Services;
- Restaurants;
- Schools (Pre-school / Primary / Secondary);
- Servicing and Trading;
- Shops and Retailers; and
- Transport and Logistics.
The 4 Sectors for SMEs are:
- Construction, Manufacturing and Industrial Services ^;
- Servicing Industry;
- Shops and Retailers; and
- Trading
@ Under the HKAEE, an SME is an organisation that (i) meets the definition of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) adopted by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; ii) has substantive business operation in Hong Kong; and (iii) its parent company (if applicable) or itself should not be a listed company.
An SME under the definition of HKSAR Government is a manufacturing business which employs fewer than 100 persons in Hong Kong; or a non-manufacturing business which employs fewer than 50 persons in Hong Kong. The “number of persons employed” include individual proprietors, partners and shareholders actively engaged in the work of the organisation; and salaried employees of the organisation, including full-time or part-time salaried personnel directly paid by the organisation, both permanent and temporary, at the time of submitting applications.
* The nominated construction project(s) should have at least one-third of the project work completed (according to the contract period) at the time of assessment.
^ Hong Kong based companies with their factories in the Greater Bay Area will also be eligible to join the HKAEE under the Manufacturing and Industrial Services Sector (for non-SMEs), or Construction, Manufacturing and Industrial Services Sector (for SMEs).
The Organisers reserve the right to determine the eligibility of any applicant.
Winners will be selected from a rigorous assessment process comprising three stages:
Stage 1 - Initial Assessment
Upon receipt of the application form, a questionnaire will be sent to the eligible applicants for collecting detailed information on their green policies and practices as well as environmental achievements. All information submitted by the applicants will be reviewed according to the assessment criteria of the awards. The Organisers may request additional documents for the purpose of information verification. The Organisers will then select applicants for detailed assessment in Stage 2.
All eligible applicants who have completed Stage 1 assessment and yet do not receive any award will receive a Participation Certificate after the completion of all assessment processes.
Stage 2 - Detailed Assessment
Organisations selected for detailed assessment will be visited by a team of assessors. The visit will include a tour of applicant’s facilities and interviews with key representatives of the organisation including top management, department heads and general staff. The applicants should arrange the necessary permits and transportation between the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border and the premises in Mainland China, if necessary, for the assessment visit. During the site visit, applicants are encouraged to introduce their environmental performance to the assessors to provide them with an in-depth understanding of their environmental initiatives and the status of implementation.
The assessors will then prepare the assessment reports for submission to the Organisers for further short-listing into the final adjudication in Stage 3.
Applicants successfully completing Stage 2 assessment will receive a complimentary report on their environmental performance. The report will outline the organisation’s strengths and highlight areas where improvements in environmental management could be made.
Stage 3 - Final Assessment
Adjudicating Panels will review the environmental performance of applicants. During the final assessment phase, the Adjudicating Panels may invite candidates to further present their achievements in a meeting. Each Adjudicating Panel will comprise representatives from various trade associations, government departments, professional bodies and the like.
The assessment criteria for the HKAEE are based on the well-established “Eco-Business Model”. This model is designed to exemplify the strong relationship between the internal operation of a business and the surrounding environment. The key factors, including Green Leadership, Programme and Performance and Partner Synergy, are generally considered to be vital in the overall integration of environmental measures within an organisation.
Green Leadership
Green leadership refers to the level of commitment demonstrated by an organisation’s senior management in the pursuit of environmental objectives within the organisation and the commitment of managers and staff to the implementation of environmental initiatives. Indicators to be reviewed include the types of environmental programmes established by management, the amount of training provided and resources used for the programmes, the degree of staff involvement in carrying out programme tasks, and the manner in which programme progress is monitored for continual improvement.
Programme and Performance
This aspect evaluates the accomplishments achieved by organisations when carrying out their environmental programmes. Environmental measures undertaken during the daily operations of the organisation will be evaluated for effectiveness. The scope of evaluation includes the extent to which an organisation has complied with environmental regulations, conserved energy and water, reduced / reused / recycled waste material, as well as improved environmental qualities such as noise control, ambient and indoor air quality.
Partner Synergy
Partner synergy looks at how an organisation explores opportunities to inform and influence suppliers and contractors about the importance of environmental management and encourage them to adopt their own environmental strategies in their individual operations. The extent to which the organisation participates in environmental education for its customers and the general community is also relevant.
| Green Leadership | Programme and Performance | Partner Synergy | |
| The 11 Sectors for non-SMEs | |||
| Construction Industry | 20% | 60% | 20% |
| Hotels and Recreational Clubs | 20% | 50% | 30% |
| Manufacturing and Industrial Services | 20% | 60% | 20% |
| Media and Communication | 20% | 50% | 30% |
| Property Management | 20% | 45% | 35% |
| Public and Community Services | 20% | 45% | 35% |
| Restaurants | 20% | 50% | 30% |
| Schools | 20% | 55% | 25% |
| Servicing and Trading | 20% | 45% | 35% |
| Shops and Retailers | 20% | 45% | 35% |
| Transport and Logistics | 20% | 60% | 20% |
| The 4 Sectors for SMEs | |||
| Construction, Manufacturing and Industrial Services | 20% | 60% | 20% |
| Servicing Industry | 30% | 40% | 30% |
| Shops and Retailers | 30% | 40% | 30% |
| Trading | 30% | 40% | 30% |
In order to recognise applicants’ efforts to promote the HKAEE as well as their achievements in the Hong Kong Green Organisation Certification (HKGOC) and other recognised certification or award schemes, a maximum of 10 bonus points will be given to the applicants during Stage 2 assessment of the HKAEE, as follows:
Bonus Points Awarded for Efforts in promoting HKAEE (maximum 3 bonus points)
- Applicants who have promoted HKAEE through their business / school network and / or promotional channels / platforms (e.g. display the awarded logos and stickers in premises, website, and electronic screens, etc.; imprint the awarded logo in name cards, letterhead; and publish featured articles through media) will earn a maximum of 1 bonus point.
- Applicants who have successfully referred their business / school partners (e.g. suppliers) to join the HKAEE will earn a maximum of 2 bonus points.
Applicants who have promoted HKAEE through their business / school network and successfully referred their business / school partners may also be awarded with the title of “Outstanding HKAEE Promotional Partner” if they have fulfilled certain criteria, please refer to "Outstanding Promotional Partner Commendation Scheme" for details.
Bonus Points Awarded for Efforts in Hong Kong Green Organisation Certification (HKGOC) (maximum 4 bonus points)
- Applicants who possess a valid Wastewi$e / Energywi$e / IAQwi$e / Productwi$e / Carbon Reduction Certificate / recognition of Hong Kong Green Organisation will earn 1 bonus point per Certificate.
Bonus Points Awarded for Efforts in Other Schemes (maximum 3 bonus points) [Except Schools Sector]
- Applicants who possess a valid certificate from environmental schemes such as ISO 14001, ISO 20121, ISO 50001, IECQ HSPM QC 080000, Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Manufacturing) Recognition Scheme, Hong Kong Green Mark Certification Scheme, WWF-Hong Kong’s Low-carbon Office Operation Programme (LOOP) and Low Carbon Manufacturing Programme (LCMP), Quality Restaurant Environmental Management Scheme, CLP Smart Energy Award, WGO's Green Office Awards Labelling Scheme (GOALS), FHKI's BOCHK Corporate Environmental Leadership Awards, BEAM Plus New Buildings / BEAM Plus Existing Buildings / BEAM Plus Interiors, Hong Kong Green Shop Alliance Award or other schemes recognised by the Organisers will earn 1 bonus point. The Organisers reserve the right to grant bonus points to any applicants.
Bonus Points Awarded for Efforts in Other Schemes (maximum 3 bonus points)[Applicable for the Schools Sector]
If schools have participated in and possess a valid certificate from the following schemes in the 2020/21 school year, 1 bonus point per scheme will be granted: ECC’s Green Prefect Programme and Student Environmental Protection Ambassador Scheme, Council for Sustainable Development’s Sustainable Development School Award Programme (including SD Participation Award and SD Community Project Award), EPD’s IAQ Certification Scheme, Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s Greening School Project Award, Business Environment Council’s Jockey Club BEAM Plus in Schools Project, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited’s Green Elites Campus Accreditation Programme and The Hongkong Electric Company’s Happy Green Schools Label Programme.
*Note :
- HKGOC consists of five Certificates, namely “Wastewi$e Certificate”, “Energywi$e Certificate”, “Productwi$e Certificate”, “IAQwi$e Certificate” and “Carbon Reduction Certificate”. Participants can further obtain the recognition of “Hong Kong Green Organisation ” by demonstrating the environmental practices in multiple aspects. Please refer to the HKGOC programme booklet for details.
- ISO 14001 is an environmental management system certification scheme operated by the International Organization for Standardization.
- ISO 20121 is an event sustainability management system standard published by the International Organization for Standardization.
- ISO 50001 is an energy management system certification scheme operated by the International Organization for Standardization.
- IECQ HSPM QC 080000 is a system certification scheme on hazardous substances process management operated by the IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components.
- Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Manufacturing) Recognition Scheme is jointly organised by Hong Kong SAR Environment Bureau and the Economic & Information Technology Commission of Guangdong Province.
- Hong Kong Green Mark Certification Scheme is a system certification scheme operated by the Hong Kong Q-Mark Council, Federation of the Hong Kong Industries.
- Low-carbon Office Operation Programme and the Low Carbon Manufacturing Programme are schemes operated by WWF-Hong Kong. The bonus point will only be granted to applicants in applicable Sectors.
- Quality Restaurant Environmental Management Scheme is a voluntary environmental accreditation scheme for the food and beverage trade jointly operated by the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades and Hong Kong Productivity Council.
- CLP Smart Energy Award is organised by CLP Power Hong Kong Limited which aims to recognise organisations who have implemented energy conservation measures and achieved outstanding energy saving results.
- Green Office Awards Labelling Scheme (GOALS) is a recognition scheme for offices organised by the World Green Organisation (WGO).
- BOCHK Corporate Environmental Leadership Awards Programme is organised by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, which aims to promote environmental practices among the manufacturing and services enterprises in Hong Kong and the Pan Pearl River Delta (PRD) region.
- BEAM Plus is an independent assessment of building sustainability performance. It is certified by Hong Kong Green Building Council Limited (HKGBC) while the assessment is handled by the BEAM Society Limited.
- Hong Kong Green Shop Alliance Award is organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council, which aims to foster green shopping environment in Hong Kong. Only winners of the main awards, i.e. “Best Green Practice in Malls”, “Best Green Practice in Shops” and “Best Collaborative effort of Malls and Shops” can earn bonus point in HKAEE.
- The presentation of the award to any winning organisation is still subject to further consideration of prosecutions for or convictions of non-compliance with environmental regulations, if any, before the date of the Presentation Ceremony.
Guidebooks
For more details of the assessment criteria, application procedures and application forms please refer to the designated guidebooks.
The 11 Sectors for non-SMEs
- Guidebook for Construction Industry
- Guidebook for Hotels and Recreational Clubs
- Guidebook for Manufacturing and Industrial Services
- Guidebook for Media and Communication
- Guidebook for Property Management
- Guidebook for Public and Community Services
- Guidebook for Restaurants
- Guidebook for Schools
- Guidebook for Servicing and Trading
- Guidebook for Shops and Retailers
- Guidebook for Transport and Logistics
The 4 Sectors for SMEs
Hong Kong Green Innovations Awards (HKGIA)
Aims and Eligibility
AIMS
The Hong Kong Green Innovations Awards aims to:
- encourage organisations to solve problems with innovative, green and practicable ideas that have been turned into tangible gadgets, equipment or systems, resulting in real environmental benefits;
- recognise organisations' green innovations; and
- encourage organisations sharing their experiences in green innovations with industry and public.
ELIGIBILITY
Any Hong Kong organisations or their functional units which operate in Hong Kong may apply with an entry which they have either conceived of on their own, or modified significantly from existing approaches and developed those to fruition to create environmental value in Hong Kong. In this context, the term "green innovation" refers to any change that increases or enhances environmental benefits in a significantly ingenious manner.
Each applicant may submit one or more entries. Each entry submitted should be a current and reasonably recent initiative within three years since its full-scale implementation. It must not merely be an idea that has merit and may be successful in the future, or a green innovation brought or directly taken from a third party without any modification or enhancement made by the applicant. The entry should also show proven success in terms of measurable improvement to the environment (e.g. energy conservation, waste management, waste management, air quality improvement, water management, noise reduction, etc.). Green innovative entries exhibiting achievements on eco-antipandemic are most welcome in 2021.
The Organisers reserve the right to decide whether an application meets the eligibility requirement.
Assessment
Winners will be selected from a rigorous assessment process that comprises two stages:
Stage of Detailed Assessment
Upon receipt of the application form, a questionnaire will be sent to the applicants for collecting detailed information if the entry is considered initially eligible under the scheme. An interview will be required for the applicant to present the entry to a team of assessors so that the team may obtain first-hand details about the entry, including its purpose and environmental performance. All information submitted by the applicant and/or examined during this Stage will be reviewed according to the assessment criteria of the awards. The Organisers will then select from the competing entries for final assessment in the next Stage.
All eligible applicants who have completed Stage of Detailed Assessment and yet do not receive any award will receive a Participation Certificate after completion of all assessment processes.
Stage of Final Assessment
An Adjudicating Panel will be formed to review the entries. During the final assessment stage, the Adjudicating Panel may invite candidates to further present the achievements of their entries in a meeting. The Adjudicating Panel will comprise representatives from various trade associations, government departments, professional bodies and the like.
Assessment Criteria for Hong Kong Green Innovations Awards
The assessment will be made on the following three criteria, each of which will have several component aspects designed to gauge the performance of the competing entries under each criterion.
Level of Innovation
- Existence and recentness of innovative elements
- Degree of originality
Environmental Achievements
- Measurable improvement to the environment
- Ability to generate benefits to multiple environmental aspects
- Accreditations or external stakeholder acknowledgements obtained
Practicability and Contribution to Society
- Applicability in multiple areas
- Level of cost-effectiveness
- Efforts in creating awareness amongst the business community or general public
Weightings of the Assessment Criteria
Level of Innovation : 40%
Environmental Achievements : 30%
Practicability and Contribution to Society : 30%
Guidebook
DOWNLOAD
(Application Deadline: 31 December 2021)
Submit your application NOW by filling the following Online Application Form.
Outstanding Green Achiever Commendation Scheme (OGACS)
Aims and Eligibility
AIMS
The Outstanding Green Achiever Commendation Scheme (OGACS) (the Commendation Scheme) is established under the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE) to recognise the contributions of outstanding employees for their strong commitment, dedicated efforts as well as exceptional performance and enthusiasm in driving environmental enhancement within their organisations or functional units and the community. This Commendation Scheme also encourages individuals to go the extra mile to achieve environmental goals by going beyond their job duties and making special efforts in creating significant environmental benefits within their organisations and the community. To echo the Government's target for Hong Kong to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the emphasis this year will be on the individual's achievements in reducing carbon emissions in his/her organisation including the development and application of innovative ideas and technologies and promoting a low carbon lifestyle for the organisation and its stakeholders with a view to instigating behavioural changes.
ELIGIBILITY
- The applicant(s) must be employed under the same organisation at the time of application and during assessment. He/she should NOT be the owner of the organisation;
- The applicant(s) must seek consent from his/her respective organisation for his/her participation in the Commendation Scheme;
- His/her respective organisation should also participate in 2021 HKAEE and successfully accomplish Stage 1 Assessment (except for 2019 and 2020 HKAEE Gold Awardees)
There is no restriction on the number of applications to be supported by each company / organisation or functional unit.
Benefits
Award winners of the Scheme –
- will be presented with a trophy and/or a certificate; and
- may be invited to share their achievements and experience in public events.
To recognise the efforts of applicants, a Certificate of Appreciation will also be issued to eligible applicants who have completed the Stage of Initial Assessment but not selected to receive any award or certificate. Companies/Organisations that have nominated applicant(s) who have complete the Stage of Initial Assessment will be presented with Certificates of Appreciation.
Assessment
The assessment process consists of two stages, including (i) Initial Assessment and (ii) Final Adjudication –
Stage of Initial Assessment
Upon receipt of the application form, a questionnaire will be sent to the eligible applicant for collecting detailed information. The Consultant will conduct on-site/phone interviews with the applicants with reference to information submitted by the applicants and rate their performance according to a comprehensive and rigorous scoring system. The Consultant might also approach the applicants' direct supervisors and peers/subordinates (if applicable) to obtain a more in-depth understanding of the applicants' achievements. Outstanding candidates will then be shortlisted for Final Adjudication.
All eligible applicants who have completed the Stage of Initial Assessment but not selected to receive any awards will receive a Certificate of Appreciation after completion of all assessment process. Organisations which have nominated the eligible applicants will also receive a Certificate of Appreciation.
Stage of Final Adjudication
During the final adjudication stage, shortlisted candidates will be invited to present their achievements to the panel members. The panel will assess the candidates and decide of the final results with reference to the assessment reports prepared by the Technical Consultant. The Final Adjudicating Panel will comprise representatives from various trade associations, government departments, professional bodies and the like.
| Commitment | Achievement | Collaboration | Creativeness | |
| Weighting | 30% | 25% | 25% | 20% |
Commitment
- The applicant attaches high importance to carbon neutrality and/or other environmental issues, has clear goals and objectives to alleviate environmental problems;
- The applicant exhibits enthusiasm in creating a green corporate culture and/or striving towards carbon neutrality; and
- The applicant always goes the extra mile by going beyond his/her job duties and making special efforts to mitigate carbon emissions and/or other environmental impacts within the community.
Achievement
- The applicant takes positive actions in addressing climate change impacts; and
- The applicant always makes use of his/her environmental skills and/or knowledge/experience to make impactful carbon reduction of his/her organisation and/or the community as much as possible.
Collaboration
- The applicant actively engages their peers, partners and stakeholders to promote low carbon culture and/or driving environmental enhancement within the community; and
- The applicant demonstrates ability to driving environmental enhancement by transferring his/her professional knowledge and experience to other stakeholders.
Creativeness
- The applicant applies his/her innovative ideas to create environmental values in the community; and
- The applicant puts forth innovative proposals that could lead to transformational and replicable measure to help carbon reduction and moving towards carbon neutrality.
Guidebook
DOWNLOAD
(Application Deadline: 31 December 2021)
Outstanding Promotional Partner Commendation Scheme (OPPCS)
Aims and Eligibility
AIMS
“Outstanding Promotional Partner Commendation Scheme” (hereafter referred to as the Commendation Scheme) aims to recognise organisations that put in great efforts to help promote the HKAEE and have successfully invited their business partners to participate in the HKAEE, so as to encourage more corporates and organisations from different business sectors in going green together!
To become "Outstanding HKAEE Promotional Partner", the organisation has to complete the following two requirements:
1. Assisting in Scheme Promotion
Disseminating HKAEE information to the public or business partners through the following channels (at least three channels):
- Company / Organisation Mobile Application
- Company / Organisation Website
- Corporate Publication
- Social Media
- Activities for External Parties
- Large display screens / advertising panels in shopping malls
- Electronic screens at the external wall / lift lobby of buildings
- Displaying HKAEE posters in public area within the company / organisation
- Distributing relevant leaflets / flyers (printed or electronic version) to the public / visitors / business partners
- Offering free venue for HKAEE roving exhibition
- Other promotional activities accepted by the Organiser
2. Referring Business Partners or Other Companies to Participate in the 2021 HKAEE
Refer three or more companies / organisations to participate in the 2021 HKAEE. The companies / organisations referred should also complete Stage 1 assessment (to be conducted from February to March 2022). There should not be any affiliation between the organisation doing the referral and the organisations being referred. Examples include parent company and its subsidiaries or companies under the same business group, etc.
ELIGIBILITY
Participating companies / organisations have to enroll into 2021 HKAEE first and successfully accomplished Stage 1 Assessment (to be conducted from February to March 2022).
(2019 and 2020 HKAEE Gold Awardees are only required to fulfill the two requirements.)
Commendation
All "Outstanding HKAEE Promotional Partners" will receive commendation certificates / trophies. Their names will also be acknowledged on the HKAEE website. Companies / Organisations with outstanding performance may also have an opportunity to be commended at the Presentation Ceremony of HKAEE.
(Application Deadline: 31 December 2021)
To become “Outstanding HKAEE Promotional Partner”, please complete the below form. Our technical consultant will further approach you on verifying the details.
(Please tick in the appropriate box or please specify in “others”)
* Must be filled in.