Environmental Responsibility: Building Harmonious Eco-Environment
For CITIC, protecting the environment is not only part of our commitment to social responsibility but a critical factor in our sustainable growth. We maintain green management systems, operations and offices, offer high quality eco-products and protect our natural environment in order to address pollution problems and pave the way to a ‘Beautiful China’.
Environmental Performance
Performance of CITIC Environment in 2018
Green Management
We comply with all environmental laws and regulations in the countries and regions where we operate. We have also improved our environmental management system and established a green development plan as a foundation for the continuous improvement of our environmental performance. Additionally, we offer financial support in the form of green credit, green securities and green trust for the development of low-carbon industries.
An Improved Environmental Management System
CITIC Heavy Industries amended its Manual of Environmental/Occupational Health and its safety management system during the year. As a result, improvements were achieved in on-site energy consumption and its internet-based energy management system, which has maintained certification since 2005. CITIC Construction also issues new environmental management objectives every year, and each business department, project division and partner is required to meet these objectives with environmental protection plans of its own.
Financial Support for Low- carbon Industry
CITIC Bank has transformed its customer service business model in line with green finance principles. Accordingly, it has given priority to supporting strategic emerging industries that focus on energy conservation and emissions reduction, the circular economy and clean energy when providing credit. In sectors and industries characterised by high pollution, high energy consumption and excess capacity, CITIC Bank will limit access to credit and increase its review of their environmental and social risks. At the end of 2018, the total balance of green credit loans was RMB62.937 billion, an increase of 4.27%.
At CITIC Trust, a trust scheme was launched to help Changxing Economic and Technology Development Zone in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province construct the first phase of its Green Industry Sustainable Development Project. With the completion of this project, Changxing Economic and Technology Development Zone will be transformed into an industrial park dedicated to green businesses.
China Securities continued to offer support to issuers of capital for environmentally-friendly projects, such as public rail transit and water treatment systems. In 2018, it assisted eight companies to issue green bonds valued at a total of RMB11.148 billion.
Case study : CITIC Mining International: Environmental Management
CITIC Mining International makes use of its environmental management system to continuously monitor and analyse the areas surrounding its mining sites and issues regular environment reports with the aim of minimising the impact of its operations. A total of 15 studies were underway during the year for continuously monitoring dust intensity, the quality and gross volume of surface water, health of coral, and alien species of marine fauna.
Challenges identified from environmental risks
Major environmental management concerns for the next few years include excess stagnant water in pits and leakages from the tailings dam, all of which will have appropriate control measures in place. In 2018, CITIC Mining submitted over 20 annual environmental compliance reports to the environmental regulatory authorities in Australia. In these reports, five minor environmental events in relation to the operational permit were reported.
A Revegetation Plan for the Future
Every year, CITIC Mining establishes annual revegetation objectives. In 2018, the company submitted its Mining Mountain Closure and Reclamation Plan to the government, outlining its plans for reclamation in the area around the mines, including revegetation, at the end of the mine life.
Mine Site Clean-up
CITIC Mining has been encouraging staff to participate in garbage collection and cleaning around the mine sites through its Sino Clean– Cleaning Sino Iron Project. During the process of carrying out clean-ups, new hazardous wastes were discovered and measures adopted to remove and recycle these wastes. In 2018, CITIC Mining collected 84.5 cubic metres of waste at the Sino Iron site.
Environmental Protection
CITIC Environment offers a variety of environmental protection services to customers in mainland China.
Building Environmental Education Centres
During the year, CITIC Environment joined local governments to build an environmental science education centre for the Yellow River Delta area, with a sewage treatment plant built by CITIC Dongying Environmental Waterworks Co., Ltd. Together with existing infrastructure such as a waste treatment plant, monitoring platforms and an artificial wetland, the centre allows the public—especially primary and middle school students—to experience and better understand environmental protection issues. During the summer of 2018, over 2,000 primary and secondary school students and more than 800 representatives from government departments as well as members of the public visited the centre.
The centre has been hailed as a model environmental education project that other national-level projects can emulate.
Environmental Protection Fund
During World Environment Day 2018, the subsidiaries and water plants of CITIC Envirotech and local government departments launched various science education activities, enabling teens to learn about environmental protection.
Local residents visiting Guangzhou Jingxi Underground Water Purifying Plant
Environmental Science Education Activities
During World Environment Day 2018, the subsidiaries and water plants of CITIC Envirotech and local government departments launched various science education activities, enabling teens to learn about environmental protection.
CITIC Envirotech, Nansha branch, organised a field trip in Guangzhou for local primary schools to examine river water quality
Greening our Operations
In addition to supporting national policies for industrial transformation, we have been implementing strict pollution controls, developing new applications for environmental technologies, reducing pollutants and waste, and making more efficient use of the energy and water we consume in our efforts to become a low- carbon business.
Digitalisation of Finance
We support the development of low-carbon enterprises by promoting electronic services and encouraging customers to go online to pay their bills.
Reducing Pollution
We continued to promote energy saving and emissions reduction within our operations and have committed to lowering waste gas, waste water and solid waste through advanced technology and green management.
Control of gas pollutants
Sewage and waste disposal
Case study : Cleaner Water with CITIC Technology
In March 2018, CITIC Bank, Lanzhou Branch and CITIC Environment signed a Public–private Partnership (PPP) agreement for the renovation and expansion of sewage treatment plants in Qilihe District, Lanzhou and Anning City, Yunnan. Working with local governments, the project will use membrane-bio reactor (MBR) technology developed by CITIC Envirotech. This technology will be employed to renovate the Anling Sewage Treatment Plant, increase the amount of sewage treated from 200,000 tonnes per day to 400,000 tonnes per day, and enhance the quality of treated waste water to Grade I – A.
The project is part of CITIC Bank’s efforts to support the Gansu Green Ecological Industry Fund, which promotes the development of energy saving and environmental protection industries, agricultural waste recycling, cultural tourism and advanced manufacturing. After completion, the project will significantly improve environmental conditions in Lanzhou City, while upgrading water quality in the Yellow River Basin.
Project signing ceremony
Artist’s impression of the project
Saving Resources and Energy
We are continuously increasing the efficiency of the resources we use by improving our energy management, upgrading production equipment, phasing out antiquated production equipment and developing innovative new production technology.
Towards a Green Office
In our offices, we have reduced waste energy and carbon emissions by upgrading high energy-consumption equipment and encouraging staff to use less paper. We also raise staff environmental awareness and encourage them to save water, electricity and office supplies through their own actions.
CITIC Telecom International has been a corporate member of WWF Hong Kong for two consecutive years. Dah Chong Hong, which joined the Carbon Audit • Green Partners of the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong in 2017, became a pearl member and a member of the Low-carbon Office Operation Programme of the World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong in 2018.
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