Page 221 - The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) 香港綠色建築議會
P. 221
IT ALL STARTS WITH POLICY THE INSTITUTIONAL PROCESS IS THE PROOF IS IN
WORKING WELL THE PERFORMANCE
Policy is crucial to setting the right tone for The formation of the Construction Industry By 2030, if HK3030 is followed through by
long-term improvement. When Hong Kong Council (CIC) to champion the construction advances in building HVAC and lighting
first started building in the 1960s, housing industry was a massive boost for Hong technologies, district schemes and behaviour
a burgeoning population was the priority. Kong’s sustainable built environment. By change, Hong Kong’s buildings will be
This issue has not changed up to today, mustering industry resources, the CIC has consuming 60 percent less energy than they
but with foresighted policies like planning provided thought leadership in industry- are currently in 2014. About half of this will
standards and guidelines, mandatory building related research and worked closely with the be in existing commercial and residential
energy code, energy efficiency standards Government in acting as a communication buildings, which are where the principal
and sustainable building design guidelines, channel to industry stakeholders. The Hong challenges lie.
Hong Kong has managed to avoid a number Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC),
of the urban mistakes committed by others. which is financially supported by CIC, In the public sector, government has shown
There is a fine balance between setting policy has been the result of a convergence of that developments like Tamar, and Kowloon
and getting regulation right. Hong Kong’s cross-profession interests in sustainability East can become workable and liveable
laissez-faire approach has been the reason and has now become a focal point for places that are capable of high sustainable
for its past successes – as well as some of its sustainable development in the built performance standards. Similarly, innovative
problems – but for an industry as competitive environment for Hong Kong. Five years on projects like ZCB, Kai Tak, Tin Shui Wai
and resourceful as the construction sector, from its inception, the HKGBC has served the sports complex, Kowloon City offices and
incentives for sustainable practices like gross city commendably in setting sustainability others indicate that public sector projects
floor area (GFA) concessions have proved to standards for the building industry and can be pleasingly aesthetic as well as green.
be fundamental in motivating the industry masterminding bold initiatives such as The private sector, too, has responded with
towards greener design. HK3030. iconic and green developments like Hysan‘s
Lee Garden development, Swire Properties’
In the future, as challenges like waste and What this demonstrates is that the industry Island East, Science Park Phase Three and
water become more apparent and pressing, has the ability to self-regulate itself under the Yau Lee’s Holiday Inn Express in SoHo. There
further regulation will be necessary, and inspired guidance of green professionals. But are many other examples and these are the
this is not always welcomed. Nonetheless, before Hong Kong can get too complacent, forerunners of more to come.
charging for waste and pricing of resources there are several remaining challenges to
like water can only be imposed by mandatory be reckoned with, such as high-rise zero The challenge for industry is the quest for
requirements, and this will make industry carbon buildings and issues of scaling up continual improvement. This can only be done
more prudent and change consumer from individual building performance to by accurate measurement and verification
behaviour. An added bonus should be the neighbourhoods and districts. of performance, and through benchmarking
ensuing higher standards of excellence and with the best in class to ensure that buildings
innovation, which can only benefit Hong are achieving what they are capable of and
Kong. more. Full sharing of data, especially energy
data, is still something that eludes both
government and the HKGBC, partly due to the
lack of comprehensive energy data collection
for benchmarking but also because not all
industry players wish to share such data in
order to protect their commercial interests.
Hence, one of the problems that the HKGBC
and others have acknowledged is what is
termed ‘life beyond BEAM’. Getting the
certificate is one thing, but maintenance and
reporting on the status of performance in a
building’s life cycle is another.
HONG KONG REPORT ON THE STATE OF SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 2014 219
WORKING WELL THE PERFORMANCE
Policy is crucial to setting the right tone for The formation of the Construction Industry By 2030, if HK3030 is followed through by
long-term improvement. When Hong Kong Council (CIC) to champion the construction advances in building HVAC and lighting
first started building in the 1960s, housing industry was a massive boost for Hong technologies, district schemes and behaviour
a burgeoning population was the priority. Kong’s sustainable built environment. By change, Hong Kong’s buildings will be
This issue has not changed up to today, mustering industry resources, the CIC has consuming 60 percent less energy than they
but with foresighted policies like planning provided thought leadership in industry- are currently in 2014. About half of this will
standards and guidelines, mandatory building related research and worked closely with the be in existing commercial and residential
energy code, energy efficiency standards Government in acting as a communication buildings, which are where the principal
and sustainable building design guidelines, channel to industry stakeholders. The Hong challenges lie.
Hong Kong has managed to avoid a number Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC),
of the urban mistakes committed by others. which is financially supported by CIC, In the public sector, government has shown
There is a fine balance between setting policy has been the result of a convergence of that developments like Tamar, and Kowloon
and getting regulation right. Hong Kong’s cross-profession interests in sustainability East can become workable and liveable
laissez-faire approach has been the reason and has now become a focal point for places that are capable of high sustainable
for its past successes – as well as some of its sustainable development in the built performance standards. Similarly, innovative
problems – but for an industry as competitive environment for Hong Kong. Five years on projects like ZCB, Kai Tak, Tin Shui Wai
and resourceful as the construction sector, from its inception, the HKGBC has served the sports complex, Kowloon City offices and
incentives for sustainable practices like gross city commendably in setting sustainability others indicate that public sector projects
floor area (GFA) concessions have proved to standards for the building industry and can be pleasingly aesthetic as well as green.
be fundamental in motivating the industry masterminding bold initiatives such as The private sector, too, has responded with
towards greener design. HK3030. iconic and green developments like Hysan‘s
Lee Garden development, Swire Properties’
In the future, as challenges like waste and What this demonstrates is that the industry Island East, Science Park Phase Three and
water become more apparent and pressing, has the ability to self-regulate itself under the Yau Lee’s Holiday Inn Express in SoHo. There
further regulation will be necessary, and inspired guidance of green professionals. But are many other examples and these are the
this is not always welcomed. Nonetheless, before Hong Kong can get too complacent, forerunners of more to come.
charging for waste and pricing of resources there are several remaining challenges to
like water can only be imposed by mandatory be reckoned with, such as high-rise zero The challenge for industry is the quest for
requirements, and this will make industry carbon buildings and issues of scaling up continual improvement. This can only be done
more prudent and change consumer from individual building performance to by accurate measurement and verification
behaviour. An added bonus should be the neighbourhoods and districts. of performance, and through benchmarking
ensuing higher standards of excellence and with the best in class to ensure that buildings
innovation, which can only benefit Hong are achieving what they are capable of and
Kong. more. Full sharing of data, especially energy
data, is still something that eludes both
government and the HKGBC, partly due to the
lack of comprehensive energy data collection
for benchmarking but also because not all
industry players wish to share such data in
order to protect their commercial interests.
Hence, one of the problems that the HKGBC
and others have acknowledged is what is
termed ‘life beyond BEAM’. Getting the
certificate is one thing, but maintenance and
reporting on the status of performance in a
building’s life cycle is another.
HONG KONG REPORT ON THE STATE OF SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 2014 219
