Hang Lung Properties Limited Published Sustainability Report 2021 - Advancing Sustainability Agenda to Achieve Sustainability Leadership
SOCAM: Building a Better Tomorrow
Queensway Government Offices Project by Trane-EMSD-HKGBC Honoured with Three ASHRAE Awards
[Green Building Award 2021 – Sponsor’s Message] Chinachem Group Wins Two Accolades in Green Building Award 2021
[Green Building Award 2021 – Sponsor’s Message] Swire Properties Continues “Net-Zero Carbon by 2050” Work
Green Mortgage for a Sustainable Future
Hong Kong: Green Building in Action - Latest Update on Hong Kong’s Green Building Achievements
Hang Lung Properties Limited Published Sustainability Report 2021 - Advancing Sustainability Agenda to Achieve Sustainability Leadership
Notable highlights from the Report include:
• Disclosing 28 Strategic Environmental, Social, and Governance Key Performance Indicators (“Strategic ESG KPIs”) to be achieved in 2022 towards its 25 x 25 Sustainability Targets;
• Becoming one of the first real estate companies in Asia to commit to setting both near- and long-term targets to reach net-zero value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in alignment with Science-Based Target initiative’s Net Zero Standard;
• The completion of a 100% renewable energy transaction at Spring City 66, Kunming, now the Company’s first development, and the first commercial complex in Yunnan Province, to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in annual electricity consumption for both landlord and tenant operations;
• The launching of initiatives worth HK$27 million in support of Hong Kong’s COVID-19 vaccination drive.
Other highlights under our four priorities in 2021 include:
Climate Resilience
• For Scope 1 and 2 emissions: Achieved a cumulative 28.9% GHG emission intensity reduction compared to the Company’s 2018 baseline;
• For Scope 3 emissions: The first calculation of Scope 3 emissions, and the formulation of reduction initiatives and targets (for embodied carbon and tenants’ emissions);
Resource Management
• Electricity intensity in 2021 was 10.7% below the Company’s 2018 baseline;
• Reviewed water consumption practices across our portfolio, and set a 10% water intensity reduction target for 2025;
Wellbeing
• Applied for the WELL Health and Safety Rating for 19 buildings covering all Mainland properties and the Standard Chartered Bank Building in Hong Kong;
• Over 1,800 volunteers completed 138 volunteering activities and contributed more than 14,500 service hours despite the pandemic.
Sustainable Transactions
• Secured 30% of debt and available facilities from green bonds, green loan facilities, and sustainability-linked loan facilities;
• Collaborated with tenants on multiple community sustainability initiatives, and introduced amendments to tenant and fitout guides to incorporate more sustainability provisions.
For details, please check out Hang Lung Properties Sustainability Report 2021: https://www.hanglung.com/en-us/media-center/publications/sustainability
SOCAM: Building a Better Tomorrow
SOCAM is committed to making sustainability the Group’s cornerstone. The latest 2021 ESG report illustrates the Group’s efforts and performance made, on the path to achieving its sustainability strategy “Better Tomorrow 2021-2030”. To move towards a more progressive model of sustainable development in current business directives, the Group also started aligning its ESG actions with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for transparency and disclosures.
To mitigate the impact of climate change, and to align with the HKSAR government’s carbon neutrality vision, SOCAM has made decarbonisation one of its main goals, pledging to a carbon and waste reduction target of 25% by 2024. The Group continues to ramp up its efforts in exploring environmental sustainability solutions to reduce its carbon footprint through energy and waste reduction, reuse and recycle, sustainable procurement, and strives to minimise its neighbourhood construction presence in terms of noise.
Digitalisation in construction is one way SOCAM aims to stay ahead of the curve. In its Multi-welfare Services Complex construction site in Kwu Tung North, four advanced battery systems were employed for powering tower cranes, and recorded a reduction of diesel fuel consumption by 61% and carbon emissions by 496 tonnes. SOCAM has also expanded the application of technological advances in the property assets. In partnership with energy and sustainability experts, the Group piloted the installation of intelligent control platforms for its Mainland shopping mall’s central air conditioning system. This energy saving initiatives achieved an encouraging result with a 22.3% energy consumption reduction annually.
Extending the application of innovative construction technologies
Reducing energy use in Mainland’s shopping malls
Site-safety is a long-established imperative for SOCAM, and the Group makes tenacious efforts to provide employees and workers with safe workplaces. From an already industry-low accident rate of 3.88 cases per thousand workers in 2020, the Group recorded a further drop to 3.65 cases in 2021, which is the lowest record in recent years. In the recent years new technologies were adopted to further upgrade the safety standards, including introducing artificial intelligence to monitor site operations and help identify safety hazards.
Moving forward, with a vision to build a clean, healthy and liveable environment, SOCAM will partner with stakeholders and consistently implement an array of initiatives. These include wider adoption of innovations and technology, strengthening environmental sustainability, social impact and governance, in order to facilitate transformation of the construction industry.
Click here to know more SOCAM’s ESG report and sustainability initiatives.
Queensway Government Offices Project by Trane-EMSD-HKGBC Honoured with Three ASHRAE Awards
“We are honoured to receive high recognitions due to the QGO project. These awards demonstrate the competitiveness and outstanding performance of our CenTraVac™ chiller and recognise our unremitting efforts to drive sustainability. We believe the honour will stimulate our continuous exploration of innovative and sustainable products, to further contribute to ‘Hong Kong Climate Action Plan 2030+’ and the Paris Agreement.” said Frankie Chan, Manager Director of Trane Hong Kong.
Submitted jointly by Trane Hong Kong, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), Government of the HKSAR, and the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), the QGO project stood out from stiff competition.
The project first won the ASHRAE Hong Kong Chapter Technology Award 2021 under the commercial building and existing building commissioning category. Competing with various projects from 10 countries, the project stood out among the rest and won the Second Place Winning Project Award in the ASHRAE XIII Region Level Competition.
The third award, Honorable Mention Project Award was from the ASHRAE Society Level Competition, in which many projects from over 14 regions across the globe competed for the honour.
Advancing Sustainability with Innovative Technology
As Trane’s flagship product, CenTraVac™ chiller is equipped with Trane’s latest innovative technologies and utilising the next-generation eco-friendly HFO R514A refrigerant, which offers ultra-high efficiency, superior reliability, and many cutting-edge features that can greatly reduce its environmental impact.
Following the commissioning of the newly installed CenTraVac™ chillers at the QGO in 2021, the building’s HVAC system has seen a significant increase in operating efficiency, which helped achieve an energy saving of over 30 percent and a carbon emission reduction of over 900 tonnes per year.
With the incorporation of Building Information Modeling in design and construction and application of advanced energy simulation in planning and commissioning, the QGO project has not only demonstrated many benefits of adopting innovative technologies in chiller plant renovation, but also shown a promising sustainability strategy.
[Green Building Award 2021 – Sponsor’s Message] Chinachem Group Wins Two Accolades in Green Building Award 2021
Chinachem Group (the “Group”) has won two accolades in the biennial Green Building Award 2021, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council and the Professional Green Building Council. They are related to the Group’s Tonkin Street redevelopment project, a collaboration with the Urban Renewal Authority, as well as its flagship property, Nina Tower. The awards recognise the Group's outstanding performance in green building projects and its contribution to sustainable development:
“New Buildings Category - Projects Under Construction and/or Design (Residential)” Grand Award: Tonkin Street Redevelopment Project
“Existing Buildings Category - Facilities Management” Merit Award: Nina Tower
Tonkin Street redevelopment project is Hong Kong’s first private residential project adopting concrete Modular Integrated Construction (MiC). By integrating humanistic design with property technology, it will foster a greener and more liveable community environment. The application of digitised-MiC technology could result in a 68% cut in construction waste and a 75% cut in noise, as well as a reduction in carbon emissions. The overall construction time can also be shortened by about two months, reducing nuisances to the community.
This is also the first MiC private residential project in Hong Kong to feature balconies, and it is designed with removable non-structural walls built into the modules, allowing residents the flexibility to personalise their own living space. The design of each unit emphasises cross-ventilation to bring fresh air indoor, and toilets are fitted with windows to meet the housing expectations of the public.
Adhering to its people-centric philosophy, the Group is committed to bringing positive impact to society by putting equal footing on People, Prosperity and Planet. It sets high green building standards with a target of attaining green building certifications such as BEAM Plus Gold and WELL. To achieve this goal, the group has developed CCG3050+ Carbon Reduction Roadmap and Science Based Targets.
The Group will continue to promote the adoption of greener construction methods in its future projects along with property technology development, to realise the vision of building a smart and more liveable city.
[Green Building Award 2021 – Sponsor’s Message] Swire Properties Continues “Net-Zero Carbon by 2050” Work
Two Taikoo Place has achieved triple Platinum pre-certifications in WELL, BEAM Plus and LEED.
Swire’s sustainable development (SD) journey began in 2016 when we officially created the SD 2030 Strategy, which has without doubt, guided their individual building and facility management teams to achieve best-in-class green building performance. Some of Swire’s successes include decreasing energy use intensity across their global portfolios in 2021 by 35%, compared to the 2008 baseline year; and 98% of their wholly-owned existing buildings are certified green buildings, of which 88% have achieved the highest ratings.
Swire Properties’ Paris-aligned decarbonisation targets aim to reduce tenants’ carbon emissions and embodied carbon emissions of new developments.
The Strategy has also guided them to create better climate-resilient buildings – such as Two Taikoo Place. With occupant well-being, digital systems and innovation at the heart of this triple Grade-A office tower, Two Taikoo Place has a host of built-in features and cutting-edge technology to reduce the impact of climate change and optimise resource efficiency. The ultimate goal is to decrease building energy use by 23% as compared to the industry baseline.
Carefully designed with the entire building lifecycle in mind, wellness features at Two Taikoo Place include a semi-outdoor sky garden and outdoor green spaces; daylight harvesting; IAQ monitoring systems; and the elevated walkway ribbon.
Moving forward, Swire is excited to continue their sustainability journey with their partners and tenants, and work towards the 1.5°C goal in order to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050.
Green Mortgage for a Sustainable Future
A number of banks in Hong Kong, including Bank of China (Hong Kong), Standard Chartered Hong Kong, Bank of East Asia, DBS Hong Kong, and Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, have launched green mortgage plans since September last year. BEAM Plus Gold and Platinum ratings have been adopted as the criterion of green residential properties, enabling property buyers to enjoy preferential loan terms. This is an excellent way to encourage property buyers to purchase certified green buildings.
There are an increasing number of banks adopting BEAM Plus as an objective and reliable tool for assessing the sustainable performance of residential properties. To further reduce the carbon emissions of buildings, BEAM Plus has recently updated its certificates by adding a set of “Carbon Performance Indicators” (CPIs), such as energy and water reductions. These CPIs will help to improve the transparency of each project’s carbon performance.
For ease of reference, the Council has also created a website listing all residential properties which have attained BEAM Plus Gold and Platinum ratings in the city since September last year.
To further promote green buildings, Bank of China (Hong Kong) will publish a series of the Council’s educational articles about green buildings via its one-stop online mobile application called “Home Expert”. Stay tuned for more news about this exciting growth market!
Green residential properties directory on HKGBC website
Hong Kong: Green Building in Action
Latest Update on Hong Kong’s Green Building Achievements
To provide an update on Hong Kong’s green building development status, the latest version of the “Hong Kong: Green Building in Action” brochure has just been published by the Hong Kong Green Building Council. Containing the most up-to-date figures and concise new infographics, the brochure showcases the evolvement of the city’s built environment, including HKGBC's efforts and initiatives, as well as the outstanding achievement of BEAM Plus, the local green building assessment tool.
As of 31 Dec 2021, 2,885 buildings had been certified by BEAM Plus, and the total estimated carbon emissions saved by assessed projects in the New Buildings category reached 972,900 tons per year, equivalent to planting 42.3 million trees.
The new edition of the brochure also features a whole chapter on Green Finance. This has been included in response to the rapidly expanding green finance market, which is currently undergoing strong growth in Hong Kong. The amount of green and sustainable debts issued in 2021 alone exceeded US$50 billion, which was four times more than that in 2020. More details are available in the brochure.
This infographic brochure is updated annually to help readers know more about the joint efforts of the government and industry in creating a healthy living environment and fostering Hong Kong as a green city. It is available in English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese to cater to all interested parties.
Download your copy HERE!