最新消息及活動

Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) has always been supportive to the Policy Address Public Consultation and submitted the following suggestions.

Given that building-related activities in Hong Kong account for about 90% of total electricity consumption and over half of the city’s carbon emissions, there is an urgent need to address this sector as part of the Government’s decarbonisation efforts. “Energy Saving and Green Buildings” has been identified as one of the four decarbonisation strategies to support Hong Kong’s transition to carbon neutrality. To support this agenda, the Hong Kong Green Building Council (the Council) would like to submit a series of recommendations aiming at advancing energy efficiency and accelerating the adoption of green building practices. These proposals are closely aligned with the Council’s mission to promote sustainable development and contribute meaningfully to achieving carbon neutrality in Hong Kong by 2050.

1. Existing Buildings

In support of the carbon neutrality roadmap outlined in the Climate Action Plan 2050, it is imperative to take more concrete steps to unlock the energy saving and carbon reduction potential of the 50,000 plus existing buildings in Hong Kong, particularly as the building stock continues to age. To accelerate this effort, we propose the introduction of a building energy efficiency labelling system for existing buildings. This would enable the public to better understand how buildings perform in terms of energy efficiency, whilst simultaneously motivating property owners to pursue improvements through innovative technologies and practices, such as retrofitting and retro-commissioning. Beyond providing incentives and encouragement to property owners, it is also essential to consider long-term legislative measures that mandate upgrades in buildings with low energy performance. Such regulatory framework would align with global standards and help ensure Hong Kong’s built environment would evolve in line with international sustainability goals.

To enhancing transparency and promote fair competition, the Government should consider establishing a comprehensive building energy database that captures and publicises the energy performance of various types of buildings. With robust benchmarking, this initiative would motivate property owners to adopt advance energy-saving technologies and implement effective energy management measures to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and facilities. In line with international practices, it is worth exploring the development of criteria or standards for converting energy savings into carbon credits. These credits represent energy reductions beyond the baselines set by the Climate Action Plan, which could provide a compelling financial incentive for undertaking retrofitting projects. Facilities management companies could play a pivotal role by proposing technical solutions to clients and facilitating access to funding for such upgrades. Once generated, the carbon credits could be traded on the voluntary market or acquired by the Government to offset public sector emissions. To kickstart this mechanism, it is recommended that the Government should invest in the creation of a dedicated platform to support carbon credit trading and related activities.

Following the launch of BEAM Plus Existing Buildings (EB) v3.0, which allows more flexible application of green building certification to existing buildings, it is timely to reiterate that the Government should take the lead by mandating BEAM Plus, Zero-Carbon-Ready and Net-Zero-Energy building certifications for the 8,000 plus existing government buildings and facilities, and public housing estates. Such a move would set an exemplary standard for both public and private sector stakeholders to emulate. A practical step would be to revise the existing Government circular on green building requirements, urging all existing government premises to progressively pursue BEAM Plus, Zero-Carbon-Ready and Net-Zero-Energy building certifications. This would reinforce the Government’s leadership and encourage broader uptake of sustainable practices across the built environment. To underscore its commitment, the Government should disclose the financial resources already invested or earmarked for achieving these certifications, alongside details of ongoing retrofitting and retro-commissioning efforts for its existing building stock. Transparent reporting of these initiatives would demonstrate decisiveness and inspire confidence among industry players and the public.

While the recent amendments to the Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance (BEEO) have been enacted and will take effect following the designated grace period, it is crucial to continue exploring further legislative enhancements taking into account global best practices and local experience. One key consideration is to broaden the scope of the BEEO to cover all building types, including residential buildings which represent the largest portion of Hong Kong’s building stock. Moreover, the legislation should contemplate the mandatory implementation of energy management opportunities identified during energy audits. This would ensure that audit findings can be translated into concrete actions, rather than remained as recommendations. In pursuit of greater market transparency, we propose expanding the requirements for mandatory disclosure of energy-related data contained in audit reports. This will help accelerate the uptake of retrofitting and retro-commissioning measures for existing buildings, while supporting informed decision-making among stakeholders.

2. New Development Areas

We welcome the Government’s proposal to formulate the Generalised Green Framework for the Planning of New Development Areas. This framework will provide valuable guidance to bureaux and departments, fostering a consistent and sustainability-oriented approach to the planning of new development areas. We would like to suggest that the said Framework should include the requirements to obtain certifications on green buildings and infrastructures in all new development areas. Such measures would not only contribute meaningfully to Hong Kong’s carbon neutrality target, but also strengthen climate adaptation and resilience across the built environment. A key opportunity lies in the development of the Northern Metropolis, a landmark initiative encompassing extensive urban facilities and infrastructures. We propose that the Northern Metropolis should be designated as a pilot carbon-neutral district, with mandatory integration of green building certification requirements, such as our BEAM Plus, Zero-Carbon-Ready and Net-Zero-Energy building certification, into town planning and building design from the outset. This bold move would enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions while elevating living standards, environmental quality and the district’s overall competitiveness and appeal.

3. Exporting Services and Expertise

After publishing the BEAM Plus EB Global Version last year, we are now in the process of developing the BEAM Plus New Buildings (NB) Global Version, which is planned to be launched next year. This will facilitate the escalation of BEAM Plus from a localised to an international green building certification scheme. With the support of our MOU partners from property developers, property management companies and state-owned enterprises, we have already registered over 30 building projects in the Mainland and from overseas, including the Belts and Roads countries, for application of our BEAM Plus certification to these projects. This will be a new growth area to support the export of our professional services and expertise, and create job opportunities in providing green building certification to other regions/countries. We recommend the Government to consider setting up a pairing subsidy scheme to encourage local property developers and management companies to submit applications for BEAM Plus certification from building projects outside Hong Kong in tandem with their submissions of local projects for obtaining certification.