News & Events

Hong Kong，16 October 2019 - The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) welcomes the Chief Executive’s 2019 Policy Address released today. The HKGBC shall continue to work in tandem with the Government and all the stakeholders to further the commitment for a greener and more sustainable built environment:

The government will launch a new pilot funding programme to assist private residential parking lots with a total of 60,000 parking spaces equipped with electric vehicle charging infrastructure for a three-year period. The Council is very pleased that the government is to provide convenience for electric vehicle users. The new building and existing building guidelines in the BEAM Plus certification encourage housing projects to provide charging facilities for electric vehicles. This element makes up one of the aspects in the BEAM Plus score. The Council believes, under the new funding, electric vehicle charging facilities will be widely available, contributing to a greener lifestyle.

The policy address indicates that HK$2 billion will be allocated to the "Optimised Lift Funding Scheme" to modernise 3,000 old lifts. The Council is supportive of the new funding. By replacing lifts and other enhancement works, existing buildings can effectively reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions.

The Council is pleased to see that the Government has indicated that it will formulate a long-term carbon reduction strategy for Hong Kong and will consider public comments and the recommendations of the Council for Sustainable Development. The "Public engagement on Long-term Decarbonisation Strategy" session was organised on 19 August 2019 to assist the Council for Sustainable Development to collect views from the construction industry on the long-term carbon reduction strategy of Hong Kong. The briefing was attended by over a hundred of HKGBC members and stakeholders. The HKGBC also submitted our proposal to the Council for Sustainable Development.

The Council welcomes the government to promote the “retro-commissioning” programme to higher education institutions. The Council, as a reputable partner of the government in the green industry, launched the ACT-Shop programme in 2016 by advocating retro-commissioning practices in over 42,000 existing buildings within the private sector, assisting building owners to enhance the energy performance of individual buildings while complementing the Government on the energy saving targets.

The Council is also delighted to see the government rolling out measures under the “Energy Saving Plan for Hong Kong’s Built Environment 2015~2025+”, to enhance energy efficiency of government buildings. The measures include energy saving projects, retro-commissioning, and encouraging bureaux/departments to seek green building certification for buildings under their management. Up till now, there are a total of 1,263 projects registered with the BEAM Plus certification, including 909 private projects, 195 government projects and 159 public projects. 
 

The Government has been taking the lead in developing renewable energy (RE) and implementing a number of RE projects, including pilot projects of floating photovoltaic (PV) systems at Shek Pik Reservoir and Plover Cove Reservoir, as well as a pilot PV project at the South East New Territories Landfill. The Council fully supports the government’s initiatives on developing renewable energy. With joint effort, the city is to fulfill the target set forward in the “Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2030+”published in January 2017. By 2030, 1% to 1.5% of Hong Kong's total electricity demand can be powered by solar.

The Council is pleased to see a number of new measures on green campus in the Policy Address, including to enhance the recycling facilities on campus, promote low-carbon lifestyle, install inverter air-conditioners, light emitting diode lighting and real-time energy monitoring systems at the premises of primary and secondary schools. The Council believes through upgrading school facilities and educational programmes, green campus would be effectively promoted.

The Council dedicates to enhance teachers and students’ awareness of the “green building” concept and increase their participation in environmentally friendly practices. In order to set out clear guidance, the Council has established the “Hong Kong Green School Guide”. From building a school complex to operating a campus, this guide provides solid support to schools in becoming greener and adopting “low waste, low-carbon” policies.

The Council has also the “ECF Green Building Education Video Series project”, aiming to raise the awareness of primary 4 to secondary 6 students in green building and environmental issues.
 

The government will also promote and encourage reduction in the use of plastic packaging materials in collaboration with the retail trade. The Council has established the “Hong Kong Green Shop Alliance”which serves as a platform to foster a green shopping environment. The platform aims to encourage stronger collaboration between shopping mall operators and shop tenants to adopt green practices. The Council is happy to see the government plans to strengthen the collaboration with the retail industry, taking the city to become a renowned green shopping city. Also, The Organic Resources Recovery Centre has been in operation since July 2018, providing food waste recycling services. The Council believes the new facility will encourage the participation of more food and beverage outlet operators.

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The Hong Kong Green Building Council Limited (HKGBC) is a non-profit, member led organisation established in 2009 with the vision to help save the planet and improve the wellbeing of the people of Hong Kong by transforming the city into a greener built environment. The Founding Members of the HKGBC include the Construction Industry Council (CIC), the Business Environment Council (BEC), the BEAM Society Limited (BSL) and the Professional Green Building Council (PGBC). Its mission is to lead market transformation by advocating green policies to the Government; introducing green building practices to all stakeholders; setting design, construction and management standards for the building profession; and promoting green living to the people of Hong Kong.