World Green Organisation – Green Office Awards Labelling Scheme (GOALS) Ceremony Presented by Mr. Godfrey LEUNG King-Kwok, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
World Green Organisation (WGO) successfully completed another year of GOALS with an award ceremony at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) SME Centre in Wan chai on November 11th. In addition to the 100 and more representatives from the awarded organisations, WGO also invited Mr. Godfrey Leung King-kwok to officiate the ceremony and award the certificate and plaque to the winners.
WGO launched the Green Office Awards Labelling Scheme (GOALS) in 2013 in response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) and to raise awareness of global environmental issues. The program has a total of 150 green office ‘best practice’ criteria that covers nine different environmental categories including energy conservation, water conservation, waste reduction, paper/printing saving, green procurement, IT use and disposal, transportation, education and awareness, and green innovation. These criteria promotes the environmental performance of the office in its day-to-day operations. Organisations that fulfil all the requirements will be granted the the right to use UNSDG’s “Better World Company” label and WGO’s “Green Office” label for the year.
Dr. William Yu, Chief Executive Officer of the WGO states that this program, in response to the Paris Climate Change Conference resolution, ensures that offices are also fulfilling their civic duty to save energy and reduce carbon emissions. Facing the economic uncertainties, a green office has many practical benefits, which can reduce expenses and help business in the long run.
Over 300 companies have participated in GOALS, hitting a new record
Companies participating in GOALS also has internal benefits. Through the program, the staff are able to be more proactive within the workplace. Now in its fourth year, more than 300 enterprises and institutions have been awarded including Shun Tak Holdings Limited, Shiseido Hong Kong Limited, Imperium Financial Group Limited, Far East Global Limited, and Autotoll Limited. (For more details, please visit: https://thewgo.org/site-eng/green-office-awardees/).
Launch of the electronic audit platform
WGO is also practicing being green for this program. In the upcoming year, an electronic audit platform will be launched so that participating companies can fill in the green audit checklist online. This will help facilitate the auditing process, reduce paper usage, and make it more convenient and flexible. 。
We are constantly trying to improve this program to be more efficient and green. The introduction of the electronic audit platform is only just the beginning. The next step is to add health-related elements to the program such as facilitating indoor air quality,
said Dr. William Yu, Chief Executive Officer of WGO
This health-related addition will make sure that the green offices will also have fresh, clean, and healthier air for their employees.
In order to motivate and educate more large enterprise and SMEs to become more green, WGO will set up a basic threshold with the different environmental categories that companies can use as a guideline. WGO will also train university students to become green auditors that can help companies make the important step towards environmental sustainability by implementing green measures in offices and chain stores.
Press photos：https://goo.gl/KznVVp
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