Oct-2022

Chinachem Group Sustainability Conference 2022 - Creating Social Impact on the Zero Carbon Journey in Hong Kong

Chinachem Group Sustainability Conference 2022, organised by the Chinachem Group and co-organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council, was successfully held on 24 October 2022. The Conference attracted nearly 500 in-person participants and about 1,200 online attendees in the morning and afternoon sessions.

Themed “Creating Social Impact on the Zero Carbon Journey in Hong Kong”, the Conference featured 15 renowned local and overseas Speakers and Moderators from government-related organisations, academia, as well as the utilities, construction, financial, building, architectural and cultural sectors. They were invited to present on various topics, including accelerating green building and green finance development in reaching the carbon neutrality goal before 2050, along with creating social impact through intertwining green building development and cultural conservation.

The Conference was graced by Guest of Honour Ms Bernadette LINN, JP, Secretary for Development, The Government of the HKSAR. Ms LINN set out the Government’s plan to create more land for Hong Kong’s economic, housing infrastructure and cultural development. She also mentioned the massive and exciting green opportunities available in the Lantau Tomorrow Vision and Northern Metropolis Development Projects.

In the morning session, Prof. TAI Lee-siang, Former Chairman of WorldGBC and a Professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, suggested building Net Zero templates for different sectors and stressed that Green Building Councils globally have the knowledge and responsibility to create accessibility and mainstream net zero solutions.

Outlining the solutions for tackling the problem of inadequate indigenous renewable energy resources, Mr Jim TAYLOR, Senior Director, Planning & Development from CLP Power Hong Kong depicted how they can collaborate with local customers and neighbours to progressively phase out carbon intensive fuels and enjoy a highly reliable energy supply.

Looking at design and construction processes, Mr Kevin O’BRIEN, Chief Executive of Gammon Construction, detailed how the construction industry is using modern technology, materials and methods of construction to reduce its impact on the environment.

Mr Chris TROTT, Head of Sustainability and Partner from Foster + Partners in the UK, introduced the green features of Ombú, which is a historic industrial building retrofit that creates a sustainable exemplar of building reuse and revitalisation of the surrounding area.

Dr Stephen WONG, Vice President of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association, stated that Hong Kong is well-positioned to lead the way in coping with the climate crisis. He also urged the city to move forward and explore developing itself as a global voluntary carbon market.

Believing that finance can support and incentivise the efficient usage of resources in the built environment, Mr Jonathan DREW, Head of Global Banking Sustainability, Asia-Pacific of HSBC, explored how finance providers can change the way they make choices with sustainability as a critical consideration.

The morning session was concluded by a panel discussion moderated by Dr Thomas TANG, Executive Director, Land Supply/Municipal, Hong Kong at AECOM to discuss whether the current effort on green building and green finance development is good and fast enough to reach the 2050 net zero target, as well as what further can be done.

Mr WONG Kam-sing, Former Secretary for the Environment, The Government of the HKSAR, kicked off the afternoon session to outline Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 and its major decarbonisation strategies. He also highlighted how industry players and the community are being engaged to support strategies in green building development.

Through sharing the experience of Central Market and 618 Shanghai Street in his presentation, Mr Eric POON, Executive Director, Commercial at the Urban Renewal Authority demonstrated how sustainable urban regeneration is brought about via adaptively reusing historical buildings for the community.

From the perspective of a developer, Mr Donald CHOI, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Chinachem Group, presented the ESG focus and triple bottom line of the value of the Group. He also detailed the Group’s deployment of innovative construction methods, as well as the revitalisation and Placemaking of the Central Market to create social value.

Introducing the green features of Tai Kwun, Ms Chin Chin TEOH, Director, Tai Kwun at The Jockey Club CPS demonstrated how a center for heritage and arts can promote sustainability through environmentalism and building stronger communities together.

Prof. Stephen TANG, Head of Countryside Conservation presented the case study - ECO-SMART toilet project in Lai Chi Wo to demonstrate how smart technology, eco and user-friendly design are integrated to achieve Advancing Net Zero standards.

Dr Rocco YIM, Principal of Rocco Design Architects Associates, challenged the common assumption that design priorities for cultural buildings and their green features are incompatible by presenting two projects - the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the East Kowloon Cultural Centre.

The afternoon panel discussion was moderated by Mr Vincent NG, Chairman of Harbourfront Commission. The session addressed the challenges of combining green, cultural and heritage development, as well as garnering public support and community participation in the process.

The Conference was concluded by Mr CHEUNG Hau-wai, Chairman of HKGBC, with his closing remarks. He called on all participants at the Conference, who are leaders in the building, utilities, construction, green finance, and heritage conservation sector, as well as developers, to bring on board other members of the society to co-create and energise.