As we move forward into the new millennium we will build on our strengths, but we must also rise to meet new challenges that we shall undoubtedly encounter. As the leading provider of housing in Hong Kong we are conscious of our environmental responsibilities and the role that our organisation can play in achieving the government's aim of sustainable development. We are entering a new era in which local and global environmental issues are not only a part of the wider political agenda, but are also increasingly integral to the operations of every business and organisation, not least our own. We are very aware of the contribution we can and should make towards environmental protection and resource conservation, both within and outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Perhaps, we can look back with pride at what we and our predecessors have achieved in the past few years, in the face of sometimes daunting challenges. In the past year, the Authority entered a period of peak housing production, whilst at the same time we have been facing ever greater pressures in a number of areas including tighter environmental legislation, higher standards, as well as the ever increasing expectations of our stakeholders and the general public with regard to environmental performance. Not only must we squarely meet these demands, but also we must seek to lead and influence others by our actions. Whilst we have achieved a great deal in the past year, as you will see from this report, we cannot become complacent and so we have set ourselves further long term goals with the intention of continually improving our environmental performance. We are committed to even greater effort in the months and years ahead. We must also recognise our perhaps unique position in the extent of our influence within the community. We hope to develop and enhance community awareness of environmental issues and to provide the support and facilities to encourage wise resource usage and reduction of waste.   We aim to provide homes in an environmentally responsible manner. As well as developing and improving our environmental management system, we feel that one of our most important objectives for the year ahead is to make sure that our stakeholders are aware of how we intend to achieve our environmental policy objectives. We intend to develop a "Partnership for Progress" approach in order to improve our joint contribution towards protecting and conserving our environment. The Authority will provide full support to the staff of the Housing Department in meeting these objectives.   CHENG Hon-Kwan Chairman   Back to Top 2001 Housing Authority. All rights reserved.