A key factor in our performance management is the advance in guidelines and programmes that extend our sphere of influence across our supply chain. This is facilitated through procurement practices, on-site partnering programmes and internally developed safety and environmental KPIs attached to contracts for our rail projects and property developments. Our purpose is to continue to deliver beyond operational compliance and encourage the proactive commitment from our partners and suppliers.

Recent initiatives reach across the supply chain, specifically in environmental practices. Procurement is migrating to online document management and tendering, which already has substantially reduced paper consumption and increased time and cost efficiencies in the tendering process. A system for vendor repurchases of and the responsible disposal of employed toxic materials is under development and, to encourage performance beyond contractual compliance, we are giving cost-saving incentives to contractors to keep below their project targets in waste generation on site.

In all our property developments, we work with developers through contractual obligation and in the design and construction quality to ensure our master plan is achieved and projects are delivered to specified quality and standards. We place responsibility on site project managers and representatives to monitor progress and hold regular meetings to ensure timely progress and professional management of site issues including safety, labour practices and delivery to specifications. For all future tenders for property development, specifically those of Tseung Kwan O Area 86, we have enhanced the environmental aspects of the design requirements by mandating certification for all developments from the HK-BEAM (Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method) Society that provides the assessment and standards to measure, improve and label the environmental performance of buildings.