(21 September 2024, Hong Kong) Co-organised by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), the acclaimed annual campaign “Hong Kong Green Building Week 2024” held its official Kick-off Ceremony today (21 September) at Olympian City 2. The event was officiated by Mr TSE Chin-wan, BBS, JP, Secretary for Environment and Ecology, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Ir Prof. Thomas HO, JP, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council; and Dr CHEUNG Tin-cheung, SBS, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council.
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The world is embracing green building to mitigate environmental impact, and enhance public health and wellbeing. In its 12th edition, themed “Move Forward with Green Building. Next Station: Carbon Neutrality”, the Hong Kong Green Building Week 2024 invites people from all walks of life in the city to hop on the “Green Building Express”. A variety of engaging activities await as we progress towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
For its 12th edition, the Hong Kong Green Building Week 2024 held its official Kick-off Ceremony on 21 September at Olympian City 2, with honourable guests from the Government and various sectors in attendance to support the event.
The event features Mr TSE Chin-wan, BBS, JP, Secretary for Environment and Ecology, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (middle), Ir Prof. Thomas HO, JP, Chairman of the CIC (2nd left), and Dr CHEUNG Tin-cheung, SBS, Chairman of the HKGBC (2nd right) as officiating guests, who participate in the Kick-off Ceremony and activate the Green Building Express, symbolising the journey towards carbon neutrality by 2050. They are joined on stage by Mr Clarence LEUNG, Chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Sustainability of the CIC (1st left); and Ir Harry LAI, BBS, Executive Director of the HKGBC (1st right); along with two young talents in the Promotional Video of HKGBW 2024, mascots “Captain Green Building” and “Hanson”.
Mr TSE Chin-wan, BBS, JP, Secretary for Environment and Ecology stated, “In Hong Kong, buildings account for about 90% of the electricity consumption, and over 50 per cent of our carbon emission is attributable to generating electricity for our buildings. Promoting green building and improving energy efficiency is an effective way to reduce carbon emissions. We will amend the Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance to raise the statutory energy efficiency standards for buildings, and continue to implement district cooling system projects in suitable new development areas. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the HKGBC and the CIC for their significant contributions to advancing green building, along with the strong support of various organisations, the industry and professional bodies. I wish all the activities great success and hope that the public gains a deeper understanding of green building, incorporating energy-saving and carbon reduction practices into their daily lives as we work together towards carbon neutrality.”
Dr CHEUNG Tin-cheung, SBS, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council remarked, “The Hong Kong Green Building Week has reached its 12th anniversary. Thanks to the support and participation of various sectors. This year, the number of supporting organisations has surpassed 220, setting a new record, with increasing support from both government departments, and public and private institutions. Earlier, over 280,000 employees participated in the Biz-Green Dress Day initiative, breaking historical records. This year’s promotional video for Biz-Green Dress Day featured not only the property developer Chinachem Group but also Hang Seng Bank, highlighting the cross-sector collaboration in green building development, propelling Hong Kong towards becoming a green finance hub. BEAM Plus, certified by the HKGBC, is widely recognised in the industry as a green building certification, providing guidance for projects applying for green finance. As of August 2024, over 2,600 projects have been registered, involving more than 8,400 buildings and covering over 87 million square metres.”
Ir Prof. Thomas HO, JP, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council commented, “I am delighted that Hong Kong Green Building Week 2024 has launched, leading the public to understand how the construction industry utilises technology to achieve energy savings and carbon reduction through a wide range of activities and interactive experiences. We welcome the industry’s active participation in green building, whether through the use of low-carbon building materials, research on renewable energy applications, or improving designs to increase natural lighting and ventilation, all of which embody the spirit of collective effort towards sustainable development. The CIC will continue to assist the industry, such as by launching the Smart Waste Management Tools, the CIC Carbon Assessment Tools and the CIC Green Product Certification, to promote green building in collaboration with the HKGBC.”
Hong Kong Green Building Week 2024 Officially Launched with a Variety of Public Activities
Public experience activities started on the day of the launch and continue over the next two weekends. The public is welcome to participate in the “Green Building Exploration Fair” and the “Green Transport X Building Tour”, which connect them with green building, with a view to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The inaugural “Green Building Exploration Fair” is taking place today and tomorrow (21 – 22 September) at Olympian City 2, where the public can freely explore six interactive thematic zones, learning about local trends in green building development.
The first-ever “Green Transport X Building Tour” will also be held today and tomorrow (21 – 22 September). Green Building Tour Ambassadors will guide participants on a limited-edition Captain Green Building Tram around Hong Kong Island, showcasing 10 featured green buildings. Additionally, the public can participate in the “Green Building Express Snapshot Challenge” until 29 September. Simply take a photo of the themed tram, upload the image to your social media (Facebook or Instagram), tag “Hong Kong Green Building Council” in the post and set it as “Public”, while adding the hashtag “#HKGBW2024”, the top 10 participants will have the opportunity to win a prize.
The “Green Building Guided Tour” will take place on 28 – 29 September, revolving around the “Four Green Building Powers”: Health and Well-being, Innovative Elements, Environmental Friendliness and Resource Efficiency. A series of green building guided tours and workshops will take place at Kwun Tong Sewage Pumping Station, CIC Digital Twin Hub, Swire Coca-Cola HK and ESF Island School. Green Building Tour Ambassadors will lead participants to explore green building and cutting-edge technologies, while appreciating the aesthetics of biophilic architecture. The “Green Building Guided Tour” helps connect the public with green building while driving the transformation towards a green lifestyle and the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Please visit the HKGBC Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hkgreenbuildingcouncil,
or the event website at www.hkgbc.org.hk/eng/engagement/public-initiatives/hkgbw/index.jsp.
