Sustainability goes beyond carbon reduction and requires a holistic approach, says Hactl’s chief executive, Wilson Kwong.

At Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl), sustainability has been a major priority for many years.

Our ‘Green Terminal’ programme, launched in 2018, aims to make our operation the most environmentally-friendly in the global industry.

We have reduced our carbon footprint through energy savings, including measures such as the installation of a large solar farm on our terminal roof, and purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates that fund clean energy generation.

We have cut wastage and landfill by banning single-use plastics, and we recycle and upcycle as much as possible; even producing office furniture from discarded wooden pallets.

Hactl made a public pledge to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2022 and has now committed to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50.4% by 2030, from a 2018 base line.

We also commit to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel- and energy-related activities, waste generated in operations, employee commuting and downstream leased assets by 50.4% cent within the same timeframe. The target boundary includes land-related emissions and removals from bioenergy feedstocks.

We have engaged our staff, customers, and service partners in our ambitions, through an annual Green Week which has been running since 2016, promoting the principle of many small actions achieving a major change.

Setting examples to inspire others

It is important for us to set examples that inspire others. So, in 2021, we published our first Sustainability Report showcasing our many initiatives and achievements to date. This is now an annual publication, presented through our dedicated sustainability website.

In 2022, we introduced our Sustainability Strategy Framework; a set of comprehensive goals and guidelines that informs every aspect of our business and governs the conduct of our own company and our service partners.

For many, sustainability is all about saving the planet through carbon reduction and other environmental goals. But for Hactl, it’s a much wider issue – covering our people, partners, and community.

We prioritise creating a safe, caring, and inclusive workplace for our staff. Our commitment extends beyond office improvements and adding leisure amenities.

We offer staff massages and address taboo issues around menstruation through educational talks, providing products at work, and supporting girls and women in need in the community.

For customers and business partners, we uphold a strict business conduct code, promoting fairness, transparency, and the protection of whistleblowers to prevent misconduct.

For the community, we regularly work with local charities supporting the disabled or those less fortunate in society. By ordering goods and services from these organisations, for example our staff massages are provided by visually-impaired masseurs from the Hong Kong Association for the Blind, we’re contributing to employment, skills development, and confidence-building.

Throughout our sustainability initiatives, we often find that what is good for the environment, or our community, is also good for business.

Accepting that sustainability is not an overhead but a business tool, inspires us to ever-greater ambitions. If our staff view us as a good employer, customers value their relationships with us, and our community views us as a friend, we know we are on the right track.

READ MORE SUSTAINABILITY CONTENT FROM AVIATION BUSINESS NEWS HERE