Governing for sustainability

Stakeholder Engagement and Materiality

Listening to Our Stakeholders

ArchSD engages stakeholders through a variety of two-way communication channels in order to gain an in-depth understanding of their opinions, concerns, priorities and values. This ongoing communication process involves stakeholders both within ArchSD and the community.

Academic Groups/ Professional Bodies

ConferencesMeetingsTraining sessionsPublications

Employees

Department consultative committeeStaff associationsStaff motivation schemeStaff relation unitsWeb forum

Legislators & Local District Councillors

Focus group meetings

Suppliers

EventsPublic seminars

Contractors/Consultants

EventsExtranetGreen Contractor AwardSite visits

Clients

After action reviewsPost occupancy evaluationsSurveysWorkshops

General Public

ArchSD Sustainability ReportExhibitionsInternetMass MediaPublic Seminars/Events/ActivitiesSocial Media

Associations & Committees

ArchSD strives to further strengthen external stakeholder engagement by appointing representatives to provide recommendations and undertake experience sharing with professional bodies and external committees, including but not limited to:

Steering Committee on Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality to pilot long-term strategy to combat climate change and achieve carbon neutrality in Hong Kong;
DEVB Steering Committee and Working Group on Building Information Modelling (BIM) to compose strategies to facilitate BIM and digital technology adaptation in the construction industry;
Joint Working Group on Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) to determine suitable technology and method of modular integrated construction in Hong Kong;
Steering Committee on Promotion of Green Building and Renewable Energy to formulate strategies to foster green buildings and renewable energy and provide recommendations on relevant measures; and
Task Force on Accessibility to review barrier-free design of buildings and transportation, and formulate strategies and measures on related matters.

Materiality Assessment

To identify the material ESG topics that have the greatest impact on ArchSD and our stakeholders, we undertake an annual comprehensive materiality assessment process according to the reporting principles of the GRI Standards.

This year’s materiality assessment was conducted by an independent consultant, who used a quantitative approach to identify the material topics, following the steps outlined in GRI 3: Material Topics 2021.

The year’s materiality assessment took into account the results of a questionnaire survey conducted in July 2023 among six stakeholder groups who have significant impacts on ArchSD’s operations or could be significantly affected by our operations. These stakeholder groups included the following:

Academic Groups/ Professional bodies

ArchSD Staff

Client Departments

i.e. other Government Departments

Consultants

Contractors

General Public

Material issues along with additional industry-specific issues and global megatrends were selected and identified to produce 20 potential material topics for this year’s Report. A total of 729 responses were received. The materiality results are shown in the table below.

Categories	Potential Material Topics	Importance
Environment	Energy mix and efficiency	High
	Biodiversity and ecological impacts	Mid
	Monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions and related environmental risks	Low
	Resource efficiency and circularity	Low
	Water efficiency and recycling	Low
Social	Health and safety for all	High
	Users’ health and safety in using the facilities	High
	Diverse and comprehensive staff training and development	Low
	Employment practice, welfare and rights	Low
	Community engagement	Low
Governance	Identification of climate risks and response	High
	Data security	Mid
	Management of ESG risks and opportunities related to ArchSD's operations	Low
	Management of ESG risks and opportunities related to the supply chain	Low
	Ethical practices	Mid
Value Creation	To deliver environmentally and socially responsible projects	High
	To use innovative and smart technologies to enhance project productivity	High
	Economic performance	Mid
	To foster the sense of purpose in serving the community	Low
	Indirect economic impacts	Low

After scrutinising the feedback from all stakeholder groups, we identified 6 material topics (highest importance) that are disclosed in detail in the Report.

Energy mix and efficiency
Health and safety for all
Users' health and safety in using the facilities
Identification of climate risks and response
To deliver environmentally and socially responsilbe projects
To use innovative and smart technologies to enhance project productivity

Moreover, for the sake of delivering a comprehensive report on ArchSD’s sustainability performance, the following non-material topics will also be disclosed:

Greenhouse gas emissions
Waste management
Water consumption
Employment
Staff training and development
Non-discrimination
Anti-corruption
Procurement

Stakeholder Interviews

Following the survey, two qualitative face-to-face interviews were also held with both internal and external stakeholders to gain insights on our key material issues. We also maintained close communication and collected feedback from stakeholders during the course of our daily operations.

Interview with External Stakeholder

Mr. WONG Kam Sing, GBS, JP
Former Secretary for the Environment

Interview with Internal Stakeholder

ArchSD Volunteer Service Team

Mapping the UNSDGs

We have aligned our operations and sustainability efforts with 9 UNSDGs to respond and contribute to international sustainable development strategies:

UNSDG 3

Good Health and Wellbeing

We prioritise social considerations to enhance the quality of urban living in our projects. We are also committed to fostering the wellness of our employees while simultaneously adhering to international occupational health and safety standards through our robust Integrated Management System.

UNSDG 4

Quality Education

We prioritise multi-disciplinary collaboration to promote the cross-fertilisation of ideas and foster sustainable development to ensure inclusive and quality education for all.

UNSDG 5

Gender Equality

We value diversity in the workforce and provide equal employment opportunities.

UNSDG 7

Affordable and Clean Energy

We integrate renewable energy technologies in all our projects and implement sustainable building designs and new technologies in our offices to enhance energy efficiency.

UNSDG 8

Decent Work and Economic Growth

We offer training opportunities to enhance the efficiency, service quality and long-term environmental and social performance of our people. We also uphold the highest health and safety standards through our policies, regular risk assessments and safety inspections.

UNSDG 11

Sustainable Cities and Communities

We establish connections within the community by providing high-quality public buildings and facilities that prioritise safety, inclusiveness and environmental sustainability, and participate in voluntary services. We also embrace innovative technologies and construction methods to reduce our projects’ environmental impact.

UNSDG 12

Responsible Consumption and Production

We encourage waste reduction at source and recycling through innovative construction methods at sites. We also adopt green procurement and conduct regular audits to review the carbon footprint and operation practices of our offices to optimise resource efficiency.

UNSDG 13

Climate Action

We have established a departmental climate change sub-group to formulate and adopt project design strategies for mitigation, adaptation and resilience against climate-related hazards in our projects.

UNSDG 16

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

We maintain a strong corporate governance mechanism and require all contractors and suppliers to comply fully with the laws of Hong Kong and uphold high ethical standards and professional integrity.