Climate-related Disclosures
We recognise climate change is highly material to our business, posing both risks and opportunities to our existing and future operations. Our Board-level Environmental & Social Responsibility Committee (“E&SRC”), under the guidance of the Chairman of the Corporation, provides strategic oversight of environmental and social practices including addressing climate change. The E&SRC meets at least twice annually to review and monitor the corporate-wide implementation of the Environmental & Social Responsibility Policy and related initiatives. Climate-related risks are monitored, reviewed and updated annually through our Enterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) Framework.
In response to climate change, we have formulated a three-pronged approach Climate Change Strategy focusing on reducing GHG emissions as a key pillar, we continue to create a low-carbon transport network by delivering world-class rail infrastructures and services, and strengthening climate adaptation & resilience measures at a Group level across all of our operations.
Since 2020, we have started to provide climate-related disclosures under the four core areas: governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets. Details of our disclosures are provided in our Sustainability Report and publicly available Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) response.
We have identified several climate-related risks that could impact our business and operations across different time horizon. These risks include increased likelihood of extreme weather events, changes in rainfall patterns leading to flooding, and higher ambient temperatures in Hong Kong, which have the potential to cause severe damage to assets, increase maintenance and operating costs, delay construction projects, and jeopardise passenger and staff safety, resulting in service disruptions. In response to the rising frequency of extreme weather events, we are advancing the “Extreme Weather and Climate Change Impact Study for MTR Premises” with due consideration of the lessons learnt from handling the heavy rainstorms, reviewing the relevant design standards and operating procedures to strengthen the protective measures against extreme weather and climate change.
For scenario analysis, a high-level diagnostic climate study was undertaken for our key railway and investment property assets in Hong Kong. This study assessed their exposures to physical risks under various time horizons and climate scenarios based on the Representative Concentration Pathways ("RCP") outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”). The Study evaluated the risk profiles of our assets at 320 locations, enabling us to identify critical exposed assets at risk and guiding us toward a more in-depth quantitative scenario analysis for assets with higher risks.
Our 2030 GHG emissions reduction targets were approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative and we are also committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
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Flood Prevention Measures at MTR Stations & Properties
To tackle the flooding threats at MTR stations and underground tunnels, we have implemented the following measures:
- Infrastructure Maintenance: Our flood protection and drainage systems are designed with reference to the design manual of Drainage Services Department, with regular reviews and enhancements.
- Station Design: Most entrances/exits are having 3 steps or at least 450mm above street level, featuring deployable flood boards on top. Water-resisting doors and floodgates are installed at Integrated Entrances of underground stations where necessary to prevent floodwater ingress.
- Emergency Protocols: We have established evacuation procedures for evacuating passengers in case of severe floods, supported by regular drills to ensure readiness.
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Enhancing Preparedness for Typhoon at MTR Properties
Extreme weather events, such as torrential rainfall, storm surges, thunderstorms and super typhoons, are becoming more frequent and increasingly threatening Hong Kong. Each property site has reviewed the geographic conditions of each of its property site and, having regard to the actual circumstances and needs of each location, has adopted suitable preventive measures to strengthen protection. These include:
- Appointment of consultant to carry out technical studies to determine the preventive measures;
- Installation of floodgates at entrances and plant rooms in building blocks that are located near the coast and basement carparks;
- Installation of flap valves at the drainage pipe to avoid back flow of seawater;
- Construction of planter walls at Heng Fa Chuen Playground to prevent the influx of overtopping wave water;
- Replacement of the ordinary manhole covers to those with drainage holes to facilitate discharging the water surrounding club carparks;
- Installation of water sensors at the basement carpark and reservation of hourly parking spaces in the shopping mall nearby for emergency use when the basement carpark is closed in situations where flooding risk is high during typhoon;
- Designation of temporary parking areas at the Podium for vehicles parked at the reclamation areas;
- Arrangement of backup management office at the Podium multistorey carpark to maintain services for the residents; and
- Conducting typhoon drill on a regular basis.
Upon receiving storm surge notification from the Home Affairs Department, we take immediate actions to get prepared and reduce flood risk as much as possible, including:
- Clearing drainage pipe inlets;
- Installing the floodgates for all blocks and basement carpark in reclamation areas;
- Messaging the residents and carpark owners and draw their attention to weather conditions;
- Where practicable, informing basement parking space owners to relocate their vehicles to temporary parking spaces on higher ground; and
- Allowing temporary parking in podium areas.
Supported by the Government, efforts have been made to strengthen Heng Fa Chuen’s coastal flood resilience through enhancement works in a layered approach. In 2019, a tailor-made flood gate system designed by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University was installed to protect residential blocks and the basement car park near the promenade. Building on this, we coordinated with Civil Engineering and Development Department and owners to implement coastal enhancement works which are to be completed by Q4 2026, including upgrading the existing 370m sloping seawall and adding flood boards in open promenade areas.
Nature-related Disclosures
In our efforts to conserve natural habitats and foster biodiversity across various facets of our operations, aiming to cultivate an environment where our communities and the planet can thrive together, we adhere to our Environmental & Social Responsibility Policy, which includes the protection of ecologically sensitive areas. We are committed to complying with applicable legislative mandates and preventing and mitigating any adverse impacts on ecology and biodiversity associated with operations, particularly our new development projects. We follow a consistent governance structure and framework to manage nature-related issues, overseen by the Board-level E&SRC and supported by the E&SRSC.
| Label | Content |
|---|---|
| Locate | We have conducted the assessment to identify the areas that could potentially be impacted:
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| Evaluate | To gain a better understanding of these dynamics, we have assessed the direct and potential dependencies and impacts of our business operations on ecosystem services and natural capital assets by (1) referencing the updated 2024 edition of the Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure ("ENCORE") tool, and (2) taking into account our operations and the specific conditions of the regions where we operate. |
| Assess | We minimise our environmental footprint to protect critical habitats and biodiversity, prioritising mitigation measures and safeguarding legally protected areas. We also support habitat restoration and conservation in partnership with local communities, environmental organisations, and other stakeholders. |
| Prepare | Our approach to protecting biodiversity is based on the "Avoid, Minimise and Mitigate" hierarchy, which aims to avoid or minimise the impact on biodiversity and ecosystems during construction or operations. We also seek to mitigate any residual impacts through biodiversity offsetting, which involves the restoration or creation of habitats to compensate for any loss of biodiversity resulting from its operations. |
We have been actively involved in the management and maintenance of the Lok Ma Chau Wetland, which included 32 hectares of enhanced wetland habitats and ongoing ecological monitoring. The Corporation's focuses on managing wetlands to attract wildlife species, particularly birds, making the site as one of the best examples of biodiversity management in the region. The wetland hosts over 280 bird species as of 2025 as well as dragonflies, reptiles, mammals and amphibians including those classified as endangered, vulnerable and near threatened. Our adaptive conservation management with long-term ecological monitoring at the Lok Ma Chau Wetland, demonstrates our dedication to the ongoing preservation of biodiversity.
In addition, we engaged a third-party professional consultant to assess the potential application of nature-related frameworks to two ongoing projects. This work aims to identify gaps and areas for improvement that require further strengthening, so as to align with emerging global nature-related standards, reduce compliance risk, and enhance our sustainability leadership.
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Project Highlights
Protection of an Ardeid Roosting Site in Tuen Mun Park
In developing new railway projects, we consider environmental protection and biodiversity at all project stages, including planning, design, construction and operational phases. Taking Tuen Mun South Extension Project as an example, we safeguard the Ardeid Night Roost roosting site in Tuen Mun Park during the project design stage. We have assessed potential ecological impact, completed ecological surveys and pre-construction monitoring to facilitate the formulation of mitigation measures during construction. These include establishing a buffer zone and controlling working hours, minimising noise and light disturbance from construction activities, etc. We will also conduct regular monitoring to track our performance.
Hin Keng Station
As part of our continued efforts in protecting bird species, we have installed 3 bird nest boxes in Hin Keng Station, targeting small-sized birds that inhabit the vicinity for nesting and breeding. Inspired by our success at the Lok Ma Chau Wetland, we hope to attract bird species, such as Crested Myna and Oriental Magpie Robin, with these installations during their breeding season.
Enhancing Bird Protection at Mei Foo Station
Bird-window collisions is one of the major threats to birds in Hong Kong. To address bird-window collisions at Mei Foo Station, we have made the station more bird-friendly. Following advice from the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, we have applied antibird collision window films on over 100 window facades at station to provide better protection for birds, significantly reduced such incidents. Additionally, we raise awareness of bird protection amongst our commuters by decorating windows along the interchange walkway with bird-themed stickers.
Tree Management along our Network
As part of our tree management strategy, we conduct large-scale biennial tree surveys once, as well as developing a stringent tree coding system with smart tags for about 25,000 trees along our railway network. Each tree has an “electronic ID card” with information such as height, health condition and distance from the rail line, accessible via Near-field Communication (“NFC”) technology for effective monitoring during their regular checks.
We have developed a Tree Intrusion Monitoring System (“TrIMS”) to monitor trees more effectively. With the use of 3D mapping technology, Light Detection And Ranging (“LiDAR”) and AI platform, the system is installed in our Light Rail Vehicles (“LRV”) to monitor tree intrusion. This system enables us to identify tree intrusion issues during operations so as to implement suitable mitigation measures, further improving our ongoing tree management regime.
