Environmental Protection & Sustainability
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
GEG is strongly committed to protecting the environment and building a greener world for our future generations. We fully adhere with all existing environmental laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and implement policies to lower our greenhouse gas emissions. Following the receipt of the internationally recognized ISO 50001 Energy Management System Certification for Galaxy Macau™ and Broadway Macau™ in 2020, in 2021, GEG continued to improve and optimize our environmental and sustainability practices and obtained the prestigious Green Key eco-label for Galaxy Hotel™. Awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education, the Green Key is an international eco-label awarded to hotels and tourism facilities that demonstrates commitment and excellence in environmental sustainability. The Green Key is one of the largest eco-labels for the hospitality industry worldwide, and is recognized and supported by the World Tourism Organization and United Nations Environmental Programme.
Meanwhile, GEG continues to conduct business in an environmentally responsible manner by monitoring our environmental performance and reviewing the implementation of measures to reduce our environmental impacts. In 2021, GEG actively participated in various environmental protection events, including:
- World Water Day – To celebrate World Water Day and raise awareness on the importance of responsible water use, GEG organized a Fruit Planting Workshop in collaboration with local sustainability association Green Future Macau, who shared with our team members in what ways water management is integral to agriculture and the environment.
- Earth Hour Movement – Answering World Wildlife Fund’s call to take action against climate change as well as to support Macau in becoming a greener city, GEG extended our participation in the Earth Hour Movement by switching off all non-essential exterior lights of StarWorld Hotel, Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau for an hour on the first Tuesday of every month.
- World Oceans Day and World Clean-up Day – In support of these observances, the GEG Volunteer Team organized a plogging and beach clean-up activities at Hac Sa Beach in Coloane to remove litter and plastic waste from the beaches.
- World Environmental Day – To support the World Environmental Day activities organized by the Environmental Protection Bureau of the Macau SAR Government (“DSPA”), GEG encouraged team members to “Dress Light, Save Energy” during the summer and to maintain office temperature at no less than 25°C to reduce energy consumption.
In addition, GEG also donated the proceeds collected from its plastic bag charges to Green Future Macau so as to support the organization in carrying out its environmental protection services and received a certificate of appreciation from DSPA for our contribution.
Integrating environmental considerations into our investment decisions, in 2021, GEG invested RMB100 million in Asia’s first biodiversity-themed green bond issued by Bank of China Limited, Macau Branch and USD10 million in a corporate green bond issued by Mingyang Smart Energy Group Limited to fund the construction of green energy projects.
GEG pays strong attention to protecting biodiversity and maintains approximately 1.6 million to 2 million trees and plants within the landscape of our Galaxy Macau property. With Broadway Macau being located in proximity of one of Macau’s natural marsh wetlands, GEG ensures that proper systems and processes are in place for the control of our wastewater and waste disposal and to prevent any leakage of wastewater and wastes to the marsh wetland. To minimize our impact on biodiversity, conserve the area and avoid the potential damages from tourism activities, GEG also restricts access to the habitat area from our property in Broadway Macau and reserves landscape area for the plants and trees. In addition, we also use environmentally friendly products for cleaning so as to reduce potential chemical contamination of habitats at all our properties.
Moving forward, we aim to obtain the LEED certification for Building Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) Certification for Galaxy Hotel and EarthCheck for Galaxy Hotel and Hotel Okura Macau.
Emissions and Energy
GEG acknowledges the importance of energy conservation and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. To reduce energy consumption, energy and environmental management programs were rolled out to improve the energy efficiency of our operations, and to identify further opportunities for enhancements. We established an ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems to measure, analyze and control the energy consumption of our properties. In 2021, GEG’s energy saving target was to reduce our energy use by 3% of the 2016 baseline at Galaxy Macau, Broadway Macau and StarWorld Hotel, and under the influence of the pandemic, in 2021, we have achieved a 21% energy reduction for Galaxy Macau, a 30% energy reduction for Broadway Macau, and a 21% energy reduction for StarWorld Hotel when compared to the 2016 baseline levels. Meanwhile, GEG also implemented the following measures during the year to improve energy efficiency:
- Replaced conventional fluorescent tubes with energy-efficient LED lighting at the front-of-house areas at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau, as well as in all areas of StarWorld Hotel;
- Replaced the chillers and cooling towers to improve the chiller plant efficiency at StarWorld Hotel;
- Replaced traditional analog thermostats with digital thermostats at the fan coil units at StarWorld Hotel;
- Optimized energy use by adjusting the space temperature at the back-of-house areas at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau based on the season and occupancy;
- Installed motion sensors in the back-of-house areas for automatic lighting and enhanced energy saving at StarWorld Hotel;
- Reduced energy wastage by shutting down idle mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment at all our properties, as well as minimizing the lighting level in unoccupied spaces;
- Optimized the Hot Water System pumping control at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau to improve system efficiency; and
- Rescheduled the lift systems at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau during non-peak periods.
Furthermore, GEG continued to optimize our shuttle bus operation and reduce our carbon emissions by adjusting our routes and service frequencies to changing operational need and passenger demands. Besides, we continued to replace our diesel fueled guest shuttle buses at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau with electric buses and compressed natural gas (“CNG”) buses. As at the year-end in 2021, 50% of our guest shuttle bus fleet were electric buses and CNG buses.
Due to business developments, for 2022, GEG will maintain our energy reduction targets of 3% for Galaxy Macau, Broadway Macau, and StarWorld Hotel compared with 2016 baseline levels. To achieve this, GEG will carry out the following energy saving actions:
- Install smart thermostats in office and back-of-house areas at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau, and at the walk-in freezers at StarWorld Hotel for enhanced temperature controls;
- Continue the LED replacement program at the front-of-house areas at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau, and at all areas of StarWorld Hotel;
- Continue to install motion sensors on the lighting systems in the back-of-house areas at StarWorld Hotel;
- Activate the hibernation plan in our operations at vacant areas in the front-of-house areas at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau;
- Shut down the swimming pool and minimize the lighting level in unoccupied areas at StarWorld Hotel;
- Optimize the air compressor at cold rooms in the production kitchens at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau to lower the usage of air conditioning;
- Recommission the air conditioning system in the podium area at Galaxy Macau and at all blocks at Broadway Macau; and
- Continue to carry out the Energy and Environmental Assessment program in the food and beverage operation and hospitality functions to further identify potential energy saving opportunities.
Water and Waste
To improve resource efficiency, GEG adheres to the 4R Principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recovery) in waste management. The processing of hazardous wastes is controlled and governed through the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System that we have set up in all our properties while non-hazardous waste collection, recycling and reuse programs and guidelines were implemented across all our operations to ensure reduction of wastes transferred to the incineration plant. To protect nearby habitat area, we conduct regular inspection and maintenance on waste disposal to ensure proper waste handling. Meanwhile, we also reuse and recycle a wide range of waste generated in our operations, namely paper, metal, glass bottles, disposable batteries, fluorescent lamps, toner cartridge, and textile. As well, our “Energy and Environmental Management Committee” also identified several key waste issues based on our unique business nature, including gaming cards, food waste and cooking oil, with particular management approaches respectively.
GEG has a high awareness of the impact that plastic products have on the environment. To minimize plastic waste, GEG has been replacing single-use plastics with biodegradable and washable items since 2019. With the Macau SAR Government’s ban on the import and trade of disposable polystyrene takeaway boxes, bowls, cups and dishes starting from the beginning of 2021, GEG has further stopped providing foam packaging for any of our take-out food and beverage items or using gift wraps that contain foam at our properties.
On the other hand, GEG continues to collaborate with Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Co., Ltd. on the circular recycling of all GEG-branded plastic bottles. The bottles collected will be processed into food-grade plastic pellets that are subsequently used to produce new 350ml water bottles for GEG and our branded partner hotels. To encourage our team members and customers to recycle plastic bottles, we incentivize them with the Reverse Vending Machines at our properties.
Apart from reducing plastic waste, GEG also endeavours to minimize other types of wastes, and has taken the following reduction measures during 2021:
- Established the energy and environmental assessment program at our properties to evaluate and monitor the consumption of hotel wastes and to help identify further waste reduction and recycling opportunities;
- Launched a “Clean Plate Challenge” campaign at the team member canteens at our properties to raise awareness;
- Consolidated the food preparation in our centralized production kitchens to better utilize ingredients and minimize food wastage;
- Established environmental control aspects for various departments at all our properties to monitor the waste disposal, reuse and recycling process;
- Supported the “Pilot Project for the Collection of Food Residues from Food and Beverage Establishments” held by DSPA via the participation of StarWorld Hotel; and
- Provided training to retail tenants at Galaxy Macau to promote waste reduction.
In 2021, Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau improved their waste recycling by 10% and 41% respectively, when compared with the 2017 baseline level. Meanwhile, StarWorld Hotel improved its waste recycling by 12% in 2021 when compared with the 2018 baseline. For 2022, GEG targets to improve our waste diversion rate by 5% for Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau when compared to the 2017 baseline, and by 4% for StarWorld Hotel when compared to the 2018 baseline levels. To achieve this, GEG will continue to launch a series of activities, including the energy and environmental assessment program to help our food and beverage and hospitality functions identify further waste reduction and recycling opportunities, the “Clean Plate Challenge” at our team member canteens, and sustainability trainings and promotional campaigns to enhance team member engagement, knowledge and awareness. Besides, we will continue to use biodegradable utensils and takeaway boxes in all food service and dining areas at our properties and actively participate in various environmental campaigns and activities held by DSPA.
At GEG, we continue to be mindful of the way we consume water in our operations and to minimize wastage. We conduct regular inspection and maintenance program on wastewater management to prevent leakage to nearby habitat area and to improve the efficiency of our water use, we initiated the following water-saving measures.
- Conducted water leakage assessment regularly at GEG properties to avoid water wastage;
- Installed water-efficient fittings at the back-of-house areas across all our properties;
- Adjusted the water consumption for landscaping based on the weather conditions; and
- Implemented grey water recycling for water discharged from the swimming pool at StarWorld Hotel for reuse in the cleaning of the carpark and garbage area before final disposal.
GEG established a 2021 target on reducing domestic water consumption by 3% at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau when compared with the 2016 baseline level. Under the influence of the pandemic, in 2021, we have achieved a 46% reduction in domestic water consumption for Galaxy Macau and a 39% reduction in domestic water consumption for Broadway Macau, compared with 2016 baseline levels. For StarWorld Hotel, the property achieved a 29% reduction in domestic water consumption when compared with the 2016 baseline. For 2022, GEG’s target on water consumption reduction at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau remains unchanged. However, GEG remains steadfast in our commitment to further improve our water quality and efficiency. To achieve our water reduction targets, GEG will install a descaling system in the hot water production, increase the cycle of concentration rate at the cooling tower, implement a hibernation and suspension plan at the water features and at all vacant areas at Galaxy Macau and Broadway Macau, as well as continuously monitor our water use at all our properties so as to avoid overuse.
Green Procurement
GEG strives to purchase products that cause minimal adverse environmental impacts through collaborations with our suppliers and vendors. To build a more sustainable supply chain, GEG has a dedicated supplier management team within our Corporate Procurement department. We convey our expectations on key social and environmental concerns clearly when selecting suppliers and vendors based on our environmental-related assessment of their:
- Declaration or commitment to uphold environmental values;
- Environmental certification and awards;
- Environmental Management System and Quality Management System performance;
- Compliance with applicable international environmental regulations and legislation;
- Dedication in improving specifications that would achieve environmental benefits, including adopting environmental purchase specifications recommended by the DSPA; and
- Commitment to meeting GEG’s environmental specifications.
During procurement, we work closely with our new and existing suppliers and vendors to select products and services that:
- Minimize environmental impact;
- Prevent pollution, reduce waste and improve resources use efficiency; and
- Meet or exceed all relevant legal obligations and codes of practice.
To provide clear guidance for our team members, we have established a Green Procurement Statement since 2014. Examples of green procurement practices in recent years include:
- Sourcing sustainable ingredients and plant-based meat substitutes for our internal team member dining;
- Expanding the procurement of LED bulbs for consumption within our properties;
- Sourcing bio-degradable alternatives to plastic bags and other single-use items;
- Replacing all existing GEG and our properties’ PET water bottles with bottles made from recycled PET materials (rPET) and continuing to implement our recycling program;
- Placing business focus on reduction of plastics in all our operations;
- Placing business focus on reduction of food waste in staff dining operations;
- Transitioning to greener transportation for our shuttle services; and
- Partnering with waste management companies for proper waste disposal and recycling services.
Climate Change
Climate change is a global concern with long-term implications for businesses and society. GEG has identified weather emergencies such as typhoons, flooding and torrential rainstorm as significant climate-related risks that may affect our business operations every year as these incidents have the potential to cause physical damages to our properties, affect or deplete our access to water and energy supplies, disrupt our logistics and supply chains, and such other losses or damages. To minimize the potential impacts that these climate-related risks may have on our daily operations, GEG has put in place the following preventive measures:
- Regular maintenance and check-up on essential equipment, such as backup generator, battery packs, essential lightings, and backup switchboard;
- Monitoring of water pressure and point level to ensure normal water supply level;
- Allocation of backup water supply system for essential equipment to get prepared for weather emergencies;
- Improvement on the logistic and supply control in anticipation of the typhoon and rainy seasons;
- Establishment of the crisis management plan to allocate the resources for the handling of emergencies and dedicated responsibility to manage the potential issues;
- Regular testing of the electrical system, telecommunication system and access systems; and
- Set up of emergency response team for the health and safety assessment in case of any weather emergencies.
Environmental performance data for GEG for the year ended 31 December 2021:
Environmental KPIs |
Unit |
GEG* |
|
2021 |
2020 |
||
Emissions |
|||
Nitrogen oxides (“NOx”) emissions |
tonne |
0.32 |
0.225 |
Sulphur oxides (“SOx”) emissions |
tonne |
0.01 |
0.003 |
Particulate matter (“PM”) emissions |
tonne |
0.01 |
0.004 |
Total greenhouse gas emissions |
tonne CO2e |
267,543 |
223,905 |
Total greenhouse gas emissions intensity |
tonne CO2e/m2 |
0.20 |
0.18 |
Greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) |
tonne CO2e |
13,826 |
11,477 |
Greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 2) |
tonne CO2e |
253,717 |
212,427 |
Waste |
|||
Total hazardous waste produced |
tonne |
15 |
18 |
Total non-hazardous waste produced |
tonne |
11,404 |
9,606 |
Energy |
|||
Total energy consumption |
GJ |
1,294,499 |
1,093,968 |
Total energy consumption intensity |
GJ/m2 |
0.99 |
0.88 |
Total direct energy consumption |
GJ |
173,136 |
127,247 |
Coal |
GJ |
- |
- |
Blast Furnace Gas (BFG) |
GJ |
- |
- |
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) |
GJ |
52,575 |
43,969 |
Natural Gas |
GJ |
- |
- |
Diesel |
GJ |
110,875 |
79,206 |
Petrol |
GJ |
9,686 |
4,072 |
Total indirect energy consumption |
GJ |
1,121,363 |
966,721 |
Purchased electricity |
GJ |
1,121,363 |
966,721 |
Water |
|||
Water consumption |
m3 |
2,547,140 |
2,288,979 |
Water consumption intensity |
m3/m2 |
1.95 |
1.84 |
* GEG’s integrated resorts and hotel businesses in Macau, including Galaxy Macau, Broadway Macau and StarWorld Hotel.