News & Events

(12 December 2019, Hong Kong) In view of the imminent ramifications of climate change, The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25), which is being held in Madrid right now, will highlight the far-reaching and irreversible effects of unmitigated global warming which is about to reach a critical point. All countries must take active measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate carbon reduction. As a high-density urban area, Hong Kong is a city with more than 60% of its carbon emissions generated from buildings and building-related activities. This calls for prompt publicity and development of green buildings. The Hong Kong Green Building Council (”HKGBC”) launched the HKGBC Jockey Club Green and Smart Community Buildings Project “the Project”, which has run from July 2018 to December 2019. Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Project has successfully provided technical consultation service to 4 NGO partners, including The Boys’ & Girls’ Club Association of Hong Kong, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Red Cross and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, to assist them to start transforming their buildings and prepare for obtaining a green building rating under BEAM Plus Existing Buildings (EB). The Project is a great success. The Closing Ceremony has been held today to conclude the project results and share best practices among the NGOs on the adoption of smart green technology during the upgrade. According to the study, the 6 participating buildings altogether have potential to reduce up to 11% of annual electricity use and 939,750kg of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to the planting of about 43,000 trees. Honourable guests were invited to attend the Closing Ceremony, including Ms M F HUI, Deputy Director of Buildings, Buildings Department, Government of the HKSAR; Mr CHEUNG Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman of the HKGBC; and Ms Donna TANG, Executive Manager of Charities (Grant Making – Sports and Environment) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Ms M F HUI, Deputy Director of Buildings, Buildings Department, Government of the HKSAR, shared her view in her keynote speech, “HKGBC and Buildings Department both share the same vision. We consistently strive to create a sustainable built environment, through development of eco-friendly and sustainable buildings. Building owners should regularly conduct checkups, maintenance and repairs of their buildings. They should also improve building safety facilities of their buildings when needed. As such, not only the lifespan of buildings can be extended, which is beneficial to the environment, but also enhance our quality of life and property value.

Mr CHEUNG Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman of the HKGBC, expressed, “I’d like to thank The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for approaching the Council and for their full support in promoting green building, especially in the NGO sector. As there are more than 42,000 existing buildings in private sector in Hong Kong, their energy efficiency and environmental performance are of concern. Being able to reach a multitude of people across social strata, NGOs can effectively promote the importance of green building to the public. In the future, the Council will continuously collaborate with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to contribute to the transformation of Hong Kong into a sustainable city.”

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is committed to promoting cross-sectoral collaboration and the use of innovation and technology to tackle climate change issues and facilitate Hong Kong’s sustainable development. The Club hopes the project will help strengthen NGOs’ awareness about green buildings and enhance their capabilities in operating and managing such buildings. In addition to promoting green buildings and BEAM Plus certification, the Club also hopes to foster the importance of green living in the community.

In Hong Kong, buildings and building-related activities account for about 90% of Hong Kong’s total electricity consumption. Carbon emissions can be greatly reduced if the energy efficiency of buildings can be improved. The social welfare sector is the operator of a considerable number of buildings, providing services to millions of Hong Kong people. If these buildings can be upgraded to green buildings, and sustainable lifestyle could be incorporated, it will not only help to protect the environment and reduce emissions in the long run, but also enhance the wellbeing of citizens.


The 18-month Project has 4 major focuses:
 

HKGBC has conducted an in-depth gap analysis on 6 buildings owned by the NGO partners, including BGCA Headquarters, BGCA Bradbury Camp, Chinese YMCA Kowloon Centre, The Cityview, Hong Kong Red Cross Bradbury Shatin Centre and H.K.S.K.H. Cyril and Amy Cheung Aged Care Complex. Following the analysis, practical improvement measures regarding energy use, water usage, indoor environmental quality and building management were suggested. The NGOs could refer to the study report and apply for funding to upgrade their buildings to obtain BEAM Plus EB certification or through other Green Building projects. According to the analysis and recommendations, these 6 buildings altogether have potential to save up to 1,342,500 units of electricity each year, which is equal to the electricity consumption of nearly 300 families. The carbon dioxide reduction could be up to 939,750 kg, which is equivalent to the planting of about 43,000 trees. The results are extremely encouraging. Some key parameters of the study results are given in the following table:
 

2. Provide green building training to NGO employees, enhance understanding of green building concepts by management staff

Mr Charles CHAN, Executive Director of The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong, said, “Environmental protection and sustainable development are major trends of our time. By participating in the Project, we hope that green building can be further promoted so as to create a more pleasant environment for our staff, service users, other stakeholders and the community. We plan to renovate the ground floor to the ninth floor of our Headquarters, with solar panels and smart meters installed, and air-cooled air-conditioning system replaced by water-cooled system. At the same time, we will switch to smart lighting systems and upgrade motors of elevators to strengthen the building’s energy efficiency, stability and safety.”

Mr LEE Man-key, Coordinating Secretary of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, says, “Over the last one and a half year, with the help of experts and professionals of HKGBC, the areas that require improvement at Kowloon Club and Cityview were identified through Gap Analysis, including retro-commissioning, replacing the central air-conditioning system, improving the fresh air system, adopting smart sensors in meeting rooms and venues, installing solar panels on rooftop, window solar control films, mini observatories and data display screens. In the near future, we will prepare relevant financial budgets and schedule to support the upgrades according to the certification requirements of BEAM Plus EB, so that we can enhance energy efficiency and save resources, which could be used in other community services.”

Ms Cora WONG, Head of Corporate Services of Hong Kong Red Cross, said, “Bradbury Sha Tin Centre has a history of more than 23 years and lots of facilities there need repairing and upgrades. As a voluntary organisation, we need resources and manpower to carry out building upgrades. In addition, we also face challenges such as the lack of technical experts on building construction and the difficulty in maintaining normal operations during the renovations. However, with our mission to protect the environment, we believe we can tackle the challenges and successfully obtain BEAM Plus certification through the Project, thus creating a better environment for our employees, volunteers and blood donors.”

Mr Robert WONG, Assistant Director of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, said, “The Cyril and Amy Cheung Aged Care Complex has been in operation for 10 years. Most of the building's equipment, such as air-conditioning systems and lighting systems, operate 24 hours a day. They run less efficiently now, and consume a lot of energy. We plan to upgrade the systems with the highest energy consumption, i.e. replacing the current air-conditioning system with a new type of inverter energy-saving system, and switching traditional downlights to LED panels. By participating in the Project, we hope to provide the elderly and the vulnerable a healthy and comfortable environment where their needs could be satisfied, and where they are encouraged to adopt green and low-carbon living.”

 

Photo 1
The Closing Ceremony of HKGBC Jockey Club Green & Smart Community Buildings Project was held today, with honourable guest, Ms M F HUI, Deputy Director of Buildings, Buildings Department, Government of the HKSAR giving a keynote speech.

Photo 2
Mr Cheung Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman of HKGBC, gave a welcome speech at Closing Ceremony and thanked The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for its donation, which was crucial to HKGBC’s success in promoting Green Building among NGOs. 

Photo 3
The Project was funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Ms Donna Tang, Executive Manager of Charities (Grant Making – Sports and Environment) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, gave a speech. 

Photo 4
The Project has invited representatives of 4 NGO partners, including The Boys’ & Girls’ Club Association of Hong Kong, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Red Cross and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, to join the Closing Ceremony today.
(From left to right) Ms Cora WONG, Head of Corporate Services of Hong Kong Red Cross; Mr Charles CHAN, Executive Director of The Boys' & Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong; Ms Donna TANG, Executive Manager of Charities (Grant Making – Sports and Environment) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Ms M F HUI, Deputy Director of Buildings, Buildings Department, Government of the HKSAR; Mr CHEUNG Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman of HKGBC; Mr LEE Man-key, Coordinating Secretary of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong; Mr Robert WONG, Assistant Director of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council.
 

Photo 5
The representatives of the four NGO partners, including The Boys’ & Girls’ Club Association of Hong Kong, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Red Cross and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, and the representative of HKGBC shared the project results.
(From left to right) Ms Cora WONG, Head of Corporate Services of Hong Kong Red Cross; Mr Charles CHAN, Executive Director of The Boys' & Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong; Mr LEE Man-key, Coordinating Secretary of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong; Mr Robert WONG, Assistant Director of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council; Ir Dr Eddy LAU, Head of Green Labelling of HKGBC.

 

Photo 6
HKGBC Jockey Club Green and Smart Community Buildings Project has come to an end. Thanks again our honourable guests for joining our Closing Ceremony and witnessing the green building concept being spread and penetrated in the community service sector.

Photo 7
There are 6 existing buildings from 4 NGOs participated in the Project.
(From left to right) BGCA Headquarters, BGCA Bradbury Camp, Chinese YMCA Kowloon Centre, The Cityview, Hong Kong Red Cross Bradbury Shatin Centre, and H.K.S.K.H. Cyril and Amy Cheung Aged Care Complex.
 

Photo 8
The Project has organised several seminars and tours for NGOs’ staff, and set up roving exhibitions at various service centres to engage the community.   
 

Photo 9
The Project has held a series of workshops and interactive activities for service users and staff at NGOs, encouraging the public to embrace green living through experimenting and daily practices.
 

Photo 10
The Project has produced a series of 10 promotional videos about green building and BEAM Plus certification, via micro film, interviews with industry professionals and case studies of 4 NGO partners. Videos are already uploaded to the HKGBC website and social media platforms.
 

The Hong Kong Green Building Council Limited (HKGBC) is a non-profit, member-led organisation established in 2009 with the vision to aspire for quality and sustainability at every stage of the building life cycle and embrace these principles as a mark of excellence. The Founding Members of HKGBC include the Construction Industry Council (CIC), Business Environment Council (BEC), the BEAM Society Limited (BSL) and the Professional Green Building Council (PGBC). Its mission is to lead the market transformation to a sustainable built environment in Hong Kong by guiding the development of industry standards, best practices, education, and research in green building.

BEAM Plus assessment is the Hong Kong’s leading initiative to offer independent assessments of building sustainability performance. BEAM Plus offers a comprehensive set of performance criteria for a wide range of sustainability issues relating to the planning, design, construction, commissioning, management, operation and maintenance of a building. By providing a fair and objective assessment of a building’s overall performance throughout its life cycle, BEAM Plus enables organisations and companies of all sizes to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development.