Sustainable Building 2013 Hong Kong Regional Conference Addresses Key Issues
Posted on: 12 September 2013
Sustainable Building 2013 Hong Kong Regional Conference Addresses Key Issues
Critical challenges facing Hong Kong discussed
HONG KONG (12 September 2013) – Organised by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), the Sustainable Building 2013 Hong Kong Regional Conference (SB13 HK) commenced today at the Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Kowloon East Hotel under the theme of "Urban Density & Sustainability”. The two-day event concludes tomorrow (Friday).
Organisers of the SB13 HK Regional Conference were honoured to have Mr. WONG Kam-sing, JP, Secretary for the Environment, HKSAR Government, as one of the keynote speakers. His speech provided a wealth of valuable perspectives on the importance of sustainability in urban development. Mr. WONG said “Hong Kong is a highly dense city and we are facing various critical challenges. The Government had launched several campaigns to promote green building with lifestyle, with the aim to build a green city which is comfortable for living.”
A number of other renowned regional and international industry leaders have also shared their research and observations at the conference.
Green Building Council España (GBCe) is the organiser of the World SB Conference 2014 Barcelona. Mr. Emilio MIGUEL MITRE, Director of International Affairs of GBCe, stated that the global conference will focus more on three important areas which are global vision, the reality of transformation and creation of new resources.
Local keynote speakers at the conference included Dr. Guiyi LI, Director – ZCB of the CIC, who gave a speech on “Achieving Zero Carbon for Buildings in a Densely Populated City and a Subtropical Climate”. During his speech he cited Hong Kong’s pioneering ZCB to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of zero carbon buildings.
Professor Chris GORSE, Director, The Leeds Sustainability Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University, presented his topic on “Building Performance: Fabric Impact and Implications”. He gave solutions on how to build a better home for all.
Ir Prof Daniel CHAN, Hon & Adjunct Professor, School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, delivered a speech on “Moving Towards a More Liveable and Sustainable City”. In his presentation, he extensively discussed the problems of Hong Kong’s air pollution, while proposing how reorganising the transportation and pedestrian network, and the use of electric vehicle systems and development of a bicycle network to ease the air pollution problem in busy districts such as Causeway Bay, Central and Mong Kok.
Professor John NG, Director, Hong Kong Green Building Council presented on a special topic “High-density Sustainability and Liveability - The case of Hong Kong” which investigated the difficulties and success of the development of sustainable buildings in Hong Kong. The presentation also demonstrated Hong Kong’s achievements in sustainable development to industry members from all over the world.
Key areas being discussed at SB13 HK include how urban density affects individuals’ life and a city’s overall economic growth; how cautious planning coupled with social considerations can affect urban revitalisation, overall city planning and integrated design; the importance of government policies and visions; and the latest technological innovations and labelling standards.
A dinner banquet was also successfully held tonight, to recognise the green building projects which have achieved BEAM Plus Provisional Platinum or Final Platinum ratings for their outstanding dedication and achievement. Another highlight of the conference will be the interactive Green Building Tours to be held on the second day (Friday) which offer participants an exclusive and informative guided tour of the city’s most distinguished green building landmarks.
With strong support from the HKSAR Government as well as the construction and property industry, SB13 HK has the honour of being included as one of the 16 Regional Conferences in the SB Sustainable Building Conference Series, the pre-eminent international conference series on sustainable building and construction. The discussions at the conference are sure to inspire Hong Kong’s green building industry to contribute even further towards the ultimate goal of worldwide sustainability.
SB13 HK is a not-to-be-missed event for all industry professionals and academics in the area of sustainable built development. For more information or registration to the conference, please visit www.sb13.org.hk.