Nov-2018

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Shaping Sustainability Footprint through United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
Green Buildings – Better for Your Health, the Environment and Business

Celebrating the Collaborative Achievements at the HKGBC’s 9^th Anniversary Celebration
A Milestone for Greater Bay Area Collaboration – Signing of Memorandum of Co-operation on Retro-commissioning
Retro-commissioning Forum Fosters Exchange Among Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau
HKGBC Jockey Club Green and Smart Community Buildings Project Embarking a New Milestone for Growing Green Buildings in the NGO Community
BEAM Plus-certified Premises Enjoying Tax Incentive
Latest World Green Building Trends Indicates Strong Green Market Growth
Green Ways to Manage Waste at Green Commercial Buildings

Shaping Sustainability Footprint through United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

Allied Sustainability and Environmental Consultants Group Limited (AEC Group), the first listed sustainability and environmental consultancy in Hong Kong, held an annual cocktail reception at sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck at the International Commerce Centre (ICC) on 23 November 2018. Around 200 prestigious guests from industry leaders, business partners, friends from many different fields, our colleagues and in particular our long cherished clients gathered at the cocktail reception, where AEC Group demonstrated its commitment to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Joining Hands with All Sectors to Combat Climate Change

 

According to the alarming report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in October 2018, every country, business and person in the world will need to step up climate action if the world is to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. Without a global coordinated effort, the world will reach 1.5 °C in as little as 12 years.
Speaking at the cocktail reception, Ms Grace Kwok, Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group, said, “Climate change does not only affect our business operations but also our daily lives. As a leading sustainability and environmental consulting firm, AEC Group will walk the talk and take the initiative to demonstrate our commitment to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. We believe that concerted efforts of all sectors are required to realise our shared vision to curb global warming. To this end, we will continue to drive sustainability leadership through our expertise, nurture sustainability values for our community, and work hand in hand with all the stakeholders.”

 

Serving as a Close Partner in ICC’s Continuous Pursuit of Sustainability Leadership

AEC Group has developed and maintained a long-term partnership with ICC management team for over ten years. This started with various sustainable built environment studies at the planning stage, and subsequently green building design and certification during the design and construction stage. Last year, we were part of the team in ICC’s achievement of the tallest building in Hong Kong awarded Final Platinum under BEAM Plus Existing Buildings V2.0. This long-term partnership has not only demonstrated AEC Group’s one-stop sustainability and environmental consultancy services throughout a building’s life cycle, but also our determination to collaborate with all sectors in creating a sustainable built environment.

 

Moving Towards 25^th Anniversary and Achieving New Heights

 

In light of the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the rising expectation of environmental protection and sustainable development, AEC Group has been exploring various opportunities to develop more environmental products and solutions. This year, AEC Group has launched its new products, namely smart energy dashboard and indoor air quality solution, with an aim to enhance our capability to serve all sectors for addressing environmental problems and combating climate change. Apart from what we have achieved, we will seize precious opportunities arising from green finance and the Greater Bay Area to expand our business and provide more innovative products and solutions. Moving towards the 25^th anniversary next year, we look forward to continued co-operation among various sectors to realise our shared vision to make Hong Kong a more liveable and sustainable city.

 

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Green Buildings – Better for Your Health, the Environment and Business

 

How is Link making the portfolio future-fit?

 

How is Link leading the way on green buildings?

 

On average, we spend nearly 90% of our day indoors, highlighting the influence and importance a building has on our daily lives – including health, well-being and productivity. Developing green properties is Link’s way of ensuring we create environments that are good for - and improve the lives of - our tenants, shoppers and the community.
At The Quayside, Link’s flagship commercial property currently under development, a joint venture with Nan Fung Development, we have introduced the WELL Building Standard which focuses specifically on health and well-being of building occupants. The Quayside, targeting a completion date of late 2019, has received LEED Platinum, BEAM Plus Provisional Platinum and WELL Gold pre-certifications.

 

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Celebrating the Collaborative Achievements at the HKGBC’s 9^th Anniversary Celebration

Commencing with a meaningful song A Whole New World, the cocktail reception of HKGBC was held on 19 November 2018 to celebrate the 9^th anniversary of the Council and to convey our heartfelt appreciation to all the friends in green building development. Thanks to the generous support of Swire Properties in sponsoring the event, the cocktail was held at PUBLIC, One Island East, a prestigious venue with spectacular views of the cityscape. 150 guests from various sectors in the building industry joined us in the celebration.
Mr Cheung Hau-wai, Chairman of the HKGBC, delivered the welcoming speech and expressed his deep gratitude to our four Founding Members, the Government and the industry members for their valuable advice and significant contribution to the cause of green building movement, and on educating the public on the value of green living and sustainable practices in Hong Kong.
Mr Michael Wong, Secretary for Development and Guest-of-honour of the occasion, recognised that the work of the Council is of huge importance to Hong Kong and to the world at large; and with our joint effort, we are able to make a huge difference in arresting the growth in global warming. Mr Guy Bradley, Chief Executive of Swire Properties, also joined the celebration and shared the company’s vision in driving sustainability together with the Council and all stakeholders.

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A Milestone for Greater Bay Area Collaboration –
Signing of Memorandum of Co-operation on Retro-commissioning

 

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) signed a memorandum of co‐operation (MOC) with the HKGBC, together with several important institutions at the EMSD 70^th Anniversary Symposium – “Co-creating a Smart Future” on 15 November 2018. The MOC aims to promote the development of retro‐commissioning (RCx) of buildings in the Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macao Greater Bay Area.
The other institutions signing the MOC from the Greater Bay Area include the Building Services Operation and Maintenance Executives Society (BSOMES), the Macao Institution of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, the City Air‐conditioning Energy Conservation and Control of Guangdong Project Technology Research Exploitation Centre of the South China University of Technology, the Building Energy Conservation Research Centre of the Tsinghua University and the Shanghai Research Institute of Building Sciences.
The signing institutions will work in cooperation to promote RCx through the following aspects:

1. Carry out research of new technologies, promotion of applications and sharing of knowledge and experience of RCx
2. Develop and promote best practices to optimise energy efficiency of buildings
3. Co-organise forums to foster exchange in the industry
4. Develop trainings to strengthen the capabilities of RCx professionals
5. Establish liaison group(s) to enhance communication and cooperation

RCx helps to identify the improvement potential for existing buildings to reduce energy consumption by fine‐tuning their building systems and equipment so that they can operate at optimal efficiency, thus reducing operating costs and contributing to energy conservation. The HKGBC has been partnering with EMSD for the Council’s programme “ACT-Shop” to develop professional knowledge on RCx and provide relevant hands-on training certification programmes for the industry. ACT-Shop was launched in mid-2016. On commercial side, it had accomplished 24 private projects including commercial buildings, hotels, single tenant building, etc. with a potential saving of over 13 million kWh.
Looking ahead, ACT-Shop will actively collaborate with the Government, the industry and associations to further provide professional trainings and knowledge sharing sessions for practitioners and promote RCx through online platforms.

 

 

Retro-commissioning Forum Fosters Exchange Among Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau

 

Promoting retro-commissioning (RCx) as the mainstream practice in building operations, the Council and the Building Services Operation and Maintenance Executives Society (BSOMES) co-organised the “Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau Retro-commissioning Forum”, which invited representative from Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), professional industry practitioners and academia from Mainland and Hong Kong to provide case-sharing on different RCx practices.
The Forum was held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 14 November 2018. We were delighted to have Ir Alfred Sit, Director of EMSD, as the Guest-of-honor of the Forum to share his views on RCx and drive the industry to adopt RCx as the mainstream practice. The Forum began with Senior Engineer/Energy Efficiency B5 Ir Kong Ka-wah from EMSD introducing their Technical Guidelines on Retro-commissioning and sharing the result of RCx pilot projects in government buildings. Academia Associate Professor Dr Wei Qing-peng from the Building Energy Conservation Research Centre of the Tsinghua University and Prof. Yan Jun-wei from the Energy Efficiency Institute of Technology of the South China University of Technology followed to showcase RCx practices and case-sharing in Mainland. Ir Walter Au, Director of Lik Kai Engineering Company Limited (a member of Sun Hung Kai Properties), and Mr Andrew Lau from Jones Lang LaSalle Limited Energy and Sustainability Services, further illustrated how industry practitioners are benefited from RCx.
The Forum was a great success in which the concept of RCx with illustration of practical case-sharing was delivered. It also connected the Council, the HKSAR Government and professionals from Mainland and Hong Kong with the share vision to encourage industry practitioners to adopt RCx as a routine practices in building operations.

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HKGBC Jockey Club Green and Smart Community Buildings Project
Embarking a New Milestone for Growing Green Buildings in the NGO Community

   

The HKGBC Jockey Club Green and Smart Community Buildings Project launching ceremony was held on 26 November 2018 in Jockey Club Environmental Building with over 60 participants from various sectors, including government representative, NGO personnel, volunteers and service users. The officiating guest, Mr Paul Wong, Principal Assistant Secretary (Energy) of Environment Bureau, together with Mr Cheung Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman of the HKGBC and Ms Vivian Lee, Senior Charities Manager of The Hong Kong Jockey Club were joined by representatives from four NGO partners to show determination in turning green building aspiration into all-rounded action among the community.
90% of Hong Kong’s electricity is consumed by buildings and buildings alone account for about 60% of Hong Kong’s greenhouse gases emission. Similar to other metropolises worldwide, greening the 42,000+ existing buildings so as to transform Hong Kong into a sustainable city is a huge challenge. In response to this, HKGBC and the Hong Kong Jockey Club are leading the Green and Smart Community Buildings Project (the Project) from July 2018 to December 2019 with aims to enhance the knowledge and capacity of NGOs in Hong Kong on green building, as well as to promote BEAM Plus rating tools, especially Existing Buildings, among NGO communities and the public. The Project collaborates with four NGO partners, namely The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Red Cross and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited.

   

The Project consists of four structural levels. Firstly, the Project focuses on existing building projects of NGOs, conducting in-depth gap analysis and professional training, sharing best practice and further identify the possibility of adopting smart technologies and smart greening in those buildings. These acts facilitate NGOs’ future existing building transformation through BEAM Plus application. Secondly, various workshops and engagements activities would be jointly held with NGO partners to influence their staff and building users’ lifestyle and attitude through green building exploration and LOHAS appreciation. Thirdly, the Project aims to broaden the promotional network towards other NGO communities so as to bridge up green building knowledge with the community sector. At last, the public is the driving force of leading up Hong Kong into a sustainable city. In this regard, the Project shall produce ten promotional videos to share and promote green building know-how through an array of internet platforms.

 

During the Kick-off ceremony, representatives of HKGBC introduced the Project scope and mission, as well as announced the pre-project survey findings of the four NGO partners’ green building awareness and knowledge. Representatives from four NGO partners took over the stage and spoke on specific organisational goals to be achieved and supplemented with individual future blueprint on transforming and improving their existing building portfolios. You can find out more about the Project from HERE.

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BEAM Plus-certified Premises Enjoying Tax Incentive

   

On 14 November 2018, the Legislative Council passed the concessionary tax measures proposed in the 2018-19 budget that allow enterprises to claim tax deduction for capital expenditure incurred for procuring environmental protection installations in full in one year instead of over five years, starting from tax assessment year 2018/19. Read the Government press release HERE.
To enjoy the tax incentive, applicants of BEAM Plus projects achieving specific rating can register the Hong Kong Energy Efficiency Registration Scheme for Buildings (EERSB). Administered by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), EERSB aims to encourage and promote the enhancement of energy efficiency of buildings by recognising buildings or premises that achieve superior energy performance beyond the statutory requirements.
Buildings/premises that achieved the following rating under BEAM Plus are eligible to register for EERSB:

• Final Bronze rating or above under BEAM Plus New Buildings V1.1 / V1.2
• Final Bronze rating or above under BEAM Plus Existing Buildings V1.1 / V1.2 / V2.0 Comprehensive Scheme
• Satisfactory grade or above under Energy Use (EU) aspect of BEAM Plus Existing Buildings V2.0 Selective Scheme
• Bronze rating or above under BEAM Plus Interiors V1.0

Interested parties can apply for the scheme by submitting the completed application form, the scanned copy of the Final Assessment (FA) certificate, BEAM Plus assessment report and related documents to the EMSD. Please click HERE for more details of EERSB.
Please take actions to upgrade your buildings for higher energy efficiency, and stay tuned for other government or related initiatives!

 

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Latest World Green Building Trends Indicates Strong Green Market Growth

Published on 13 November 2018 by Dodge Data & Analytics, the Latest World Green Building Trends report indicates that the international market for green construction projects has grown significantly in the last 10 years and demand for green building activity is poised to grow. Nearly half of survey respondents expect to make 60% of their projects green by 2021. The report also finds Hong Kong currently has the second highest percentage (42%) of firms doing the majority of their construction and retrofit projects green.
Earlier this year, the Council invited our members and stakeholders to participate in this global study by taking the survey and sharing their insights. Our efforts contributed to the data and analysis of the report, which was drawn from over 2,000 architects, engineers, contractors, owners, specialists/consultants and investors from 86 countries.
What is noteworthy and encouraging is that the report pointed out the biggest challenge to increased green building – the perception that it costs more than traditional construction – declined dramatically from over three-quarters in 2012 to under half today. Furthermore, over two thirds of study participants using certification find that doing so allows them to create better performing buildings.
To know more about the level of green activity, the impact of green building practices on business operations, the triggers most likely to spur further green market growth and the challenges that may impede it, click HERE for the full report.

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Green Ways to Manage Waste at Green Commercial Buildings

Recently, Chater House in Central has achieved Final Platinum rating under BEAM Plus Existing Buildings. To enhance the efficiency in transporting the waste to landfill, a waste compactor is installed to help reduce the volume of daily waste, resulting in less carbon emission from transportation. The property management team also conducts the waste stream audit every year, in order to evaluate the daily operations of waste treatment and recycling. Have you planned for your festive holidays yet? At E-magazines of BEAM Plus Online Exhibition, Ms Akina Fong and Mr Ng Ka Him were invited to share some green building routes for your leisure, like shopping, jogging and cycling, while you can learn more about green buildings in your daily lives. The English versions of the E-magazines are now available, so more of you can explore the green buildings in Hong Kong. Find out more at BEAM Plus Online Exhibition now!

 

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