Global Certification to Promote Green Building in HK

The methods target regions from the Greater Bay Area to Southeast Asia and Europe

Green building organisations in Hong Kong have launched a global certification standard to promote sustainability, as practitioners seek opportunities overseas and look to strengthen the city’s credentials.

The Building Environmental Assessment Method Plus (Beam Plus) for existing buildings, developed by the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) and Beam Society, targets a wide swathe of regions, from the Greater Bay Area to Southeast Asia and Europe, to further sustainable development.

“We hope Beam Plus can be used in buildings outside Hong Kong, and at the same time promote the development of green construction in other regions,” said Cheung Tin-cheung, chairman of the non-profit HKGBC. “This will help strengthen the international recognition of Beam Plus. As many countries and regions do not have comprehensive green building certification standards, Hong Kong-based service providers can fill the gap and propel sustainable development globally,” he added.

We hope Beam Plus can be used in buildings outside Hong Kong, and at the same time promote the development of green construction in other regions.

Cheung Tin-cheung, Chairman of HKGBC

Emissions from building-related operations are responsible for about 30% of global carbon emissions, according to a report accompanying the release of the Beam Plus certification. “Encouraging building owners, especially in the private sector, to adopt green building management and upgrade the building services systems can play a significant role in sustainability and achieving carbon neutrality,” the report said.

While Hong Kong has had a Beam Plus standard since 2010, the global version will allow for more flexibility in terms of adopting local standards for different categories such as water efficiency and indoor air quality.

Over 2,500 Projects in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, there are more than 2,500 registered Beam Plus projects, involving over 8,200 buildings, of which more than 1,800 projects have been certified. Of these, 61 per cent are new buildings.

HKGBC and Beam Society entered into memorandums of understanding on Monday with 13 developers and property management companies, institutions and state-owned enterprises from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to deploy the certification tool outside the city.

As many Hong Kong developers have overseas property projects and are aware of Hong Kong’s green building certification system, they will apply Beam Plus, Cheung said. “At the same time, we can export Hong Kong’s green building construction and management capabilities,” he added. Some 30 projects have applied for certification based on the new global standard in mainland China, Southeast Asia, the UK and Australia.

HKGBC and Beam Society also plan to launch a global certification for new buildings in the first half of 2025. “We will continue to improve the Beam Plus certification system to keep up to date with current and future developments in the green building space,” said Frankie So Hung-fai, vice-chairperson of Beam Society.