Page 23 - Hong Kong Green School Guide
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Hong Kong Green Building Council
1. Introduction - 1.2 Benefits of Green Schools
21
1.2.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction
Schools across the world contribute
significant greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, the major bulk of which is
carbon dioxide emitted from electricity
generation for cooling, heating, lighting,
office equipment and appliances.
Therefore, carbon dioxide (CO
2
) is often
used as the reporting unit.
In Hong Kong, according to the Electrical
and Mechanical Services Department
(EMSD), annual energy consumption
per area in primary school and secondary school are 52 and 59 kWh/m
2
/year,
equivalent to around 36 tonnes and 42 tonnes of CO
2
emissions respectively.
In the UK, the school system is responsible for 9.4 million tonnes of GHG
emissions annually, of which 8.5 million tonnes are carbon dioxide emissions.
The composition of GHG includes
7
:
• 37% from building energy use;
• 16% from transport;
• 45% from procurement; and
• 2% from waste.
Schools can contribute greatly to reducing their GHG emissions by adopting
green measures such as, construction with low-embodied energy materials,
energy efficient design and technologies, etc.
7
Sustainable Development Commission. (2008). Carbon Emissions fromSchools: WhereTheyArise and How to Reduce
Them. Retrieved 1 June, 2012, from
