HONG KONG: The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) was officially launched yesterday, with a mission to turn the city "green", in the spirit of current environmental idiom.

That mission is for HKGBC to act as a leader, guiding the creation of a man-made environment that adheres to best practices in reducing pollutants affecting the overall health of the city.

An Inaugural Ceremony-cum-Conference was held Friday, marking the official establishment of the overarching organization that is charged with developing practical environmental solutions in the world's most vertical city.

HKGBC's role is to guide the development of industry standards, draw on best practices, conduct educational programs, and carry out further research into green buildings.

Andrew Chan, chairman of HKGBC, told the gathering, the demand for green practices has become an imperative, to which industry must adhere. Building related functions in Hong Kong, he noted, account for 90 percent of electricity consumption and 64 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the city.

Chan said HKGBC will be engaged in supervision of buildings throughout their life cycles, from conception, to design, construction, management and maintenance to retrofitting, demolition and re-use of properties.

He said green buildings are designed to be environment-friendly and sustainable throughout their life cycles. The demand for green buildings in today's often polluted cities is demonstrated by clear evidence, Chan said. Low polluters minimize waste and energy consumption. They effectively limit greenhouse gas emissions. The sustainable, re-usable and recycled materials used in construction of green buildings can also contribute to the conservation of water resources.

Financial Secretary John Tsang told the inaugural ceremony that HKGBC will serve as the core of a coordinated approach to make the buildings more energy efficient, reduce carbon emissions and improve the environment. The financial secretary said he hoped HKGBC could raise public awareness of green buildings, and promote technological co-operation between Hong Kong and the rest of the world.

"The government here in Hong Kong is committed to reducing Hong Kong's energy intensity by at least 25 percent by 2030 compared to the 2005 levels. This is calculated as the ratio of the total primary energy supply to the GDP of a particular year," said Tsang.

Tsang said the government had already conducted public consultations on the proposed mandatory implementation of the Building Energy Codes. He said there was strong support for the initiative from many professional bodies and the general public during the consultation exercise. In consultation with HKGBC, the government aims to introduce a bill in the Legislative Council by the end of 2009, to enforce mandatory compliance with the Codes.

(HK Edition 11/21/2009 page1)