Hong Kong combating climate change — the concerted effort of the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Green Building Council

Climate change has always been an enormous threat to our living environments. In Hong Kong, energy consumed in buildings is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is estimated that energy use in residential and commercial buildings alone accounts for more than 60 per cent of GHG emitted citywide.1 Hence, the building sector presents a strong opportunity to make substantial progress in reducing Hong Kong’s energy demand and carbon emissions. For the past few years, the HKSAR Government has been spearheading the promotion of green buildings in Hong Kong and has continuously strived to place their efforts on various initiatives to achieve higher energy efficiency and to promote low carbon living. The government provides continuous support and works together with the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) and various stakeholders to improve the energy efficiency in the building industry through numerous initiatives. The contributions of government and the private sector are equally important in combating climate change. The government and HKGBC have conducted strategic schemes with clear objectives and achievable targets. A practical support programme, ‘ACT-Shop’, is therefore available to promote knowledge-based practice on energy saving. Professionals are invited to help investigate the data of each case, develop improvement options and verity the savings. This paper aims to further discuss the concerted effort of the government and the HKGBC in combating climate change. 1Environment Bureau, HKSAR Government. ‘Hong Kong’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Agenda’. Hong Kong, 2010.