News & Events

Hong Kong, 25 February 2026 – The Hong Kong Green Building Council (the Council) welcomes the 2026-27 Budget announced by the Financial Secretary today. The Council supports the Government’s commitment to aligning with the national "dual carbon" targets and green and low‑carbon development strategies, striving to promote the development of green industries and green transformation of enterprises. The Council also recognises and affirms its support for the Government’s multifaceted efforts to implement Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 and pursue the carbon neutrality goal.

I) Accelerating the Development of the Northern Metropolis and Creating New Green Pilot Areas
The Council supports the Government to expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis and recommends the following:

Given that green technology, green buildings, and carbon reduction have become core priorities in global urban governance, the Council recommends introducing measures that incentivise the uptake of green technology in the built environment, including policies that encourage projects to adopt pre-approved green technologies, and the designation of selected zones within NDAs as green tech pilot hubs.

II) Fostering the Low‑Carbon Transformation of Existing Buildings
The Council supports the Government’s efforts in historic building conservation, including the provision of financial assistance for the maintenance works of more than 80 private historic buildings. The Council also welcomes the Development Bureau’s comprehensive review of the Operation Building Bright 2.0 and the formulation of a new subsidy scheme.

The Council hopes that more existing buildings can undergo low‑carbon transformation and enhance their performance through measures such as retrofitting and retro‑commissioning. To support this transition, the newly launched BEAM Plus Existing Buildings Version 3.0, introduces a more flexible “Theme Certification” mechanism, streamlines the assessment process, and refines the rating methodology to enhance energy efficiency and environmental performance, thereby encouraging more buildings to obtain either the comprehensive or theme certification.

III) Advancing Green Finance and Driving the Green Economy
Green industries and green transformation require the support of capital, technology and talents, presenting significant business opportunities for Hong Kong. The Council welcomes the Government’s initiatives to further consolidate and elevate Hong Kong’s position as an international green finance centre, including:

The Council’s BEAM Plus and Zero‑Carbon‑Ready Building Certification Scheme have been incorporated into the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance, helping stakeholders set and implement carbon‑neutrality targets. In addition, the Council and the Hong Kong Green Finance Association jointly developed the Operationalising the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance: A Guide for the Building and Construction Sector last year. In line with the ongoing developments of the taxonomy, the Council will continue to collaborate with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to further refine and enhance the guide.

IV) Harnessing Green Technology to Build a Green City
The Council is pleased to see the Government actively promoting green technology and developing a low‑carbon, smart and liveable green city, while continuing to strengthen policies and implementation measures in the following initiatives, including:

The Hong Kong Circular Built Environment Guidebook, co‑developed by the Council, the Business Environment Council, and the Construction Industry Council (CIC), aims to drive the transformation of the built environment through circular approaches, contributing to the development of a low‑carbon and liveable green city. In addition, the Council, in collaboration with the CIC, has launched the CIC Green Product Certification, providing the industry with an open and transparent platform for identifying and procuring certified green products and building materials, while incorporating elements of recycling and reuse to support the building sector’s transition towards circularity and sustainability.

V) Promoting Green Building Certification to Strengthen Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Greater Bay Area
The Council welcomes the Government’s move to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as the functional node for the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative. This includes partnering with industry to deepen outreach in ASEAN and the Middle East, while unlocking new opportunities across Central Asia, South Asia and North Africa. The measures also cover seeking more project matching opportunities for Hong Kong enterprises and professional services, encouraging and assisting external organisations to stage roadshows in Hong Kong, as well as injecting $200 million into the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund).

To capitalise on the Nation’s strategic direction and further reinforce Hong Kong’s role as a key hub under the B&R Initiative, the Council recommends that the Government enhance relevant measures, including:

The Council supports the Government’s initiative to leverage Hong Kong’s international advantages and experience in jointly developing building standards for the Greater Bay Area (GBA), as well as assisting in promoting national standards to the international market. In terms of GBA collaboration, the Council has worked with the China Academy of Building Research and BEAM Society Limited to make use of the BEAM Plus rating tools to and develop a new Qianhai Green Building Assessment Standard. In addition, the Council has collaborated with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the Guangdong Provincial Academy of Building Research to formulate the “Technical Guidelines for the Retro-commissioning of Mechanical and Electrical Systems of Existing buildings in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, and will prepare guidelines on retrofitting in the coming year to further promote Hong Kong’s expertise in energy‑saving and green building technologies.

The Hong Kong Green Building Council fully supports the Government’s comprehensive efforts to implement the Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050. Guided by the key decarbonisation strategy of “Energy Saving and Green Buildings”, the Council actively promotes green building development, enhances building energy performance, and encourages the public to adopt low‑carbon lifestyles to help reduce overall electricity consumption in buildings. The Council is committed to reaching the target of halving carbon emissions from the 2005 level by 2035, and achieving carbon neutrality before 2050.

 

 

  

 

The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) is a non-profit, member-led organisation established in 2009 and has become a public body under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance since 2016. The HKGBC strives to promote the standard and development of sustainable buildings in Hong Kong. The HKGBC also aims to raise green building awareness by engaging the government, the industry and the public, and to develop practical solutions for Hong Kong’s unique, subtropical built environment of high-rise, high density urban area, leading Hong Kong to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and to become a world’s exemplar of green building development. 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).
 

To learn more about the HKGBC, please visit www.hkgbc.org.hk.