Government Promoting ESG and Aiming for Carbon Neutrality by 2050
In recent years, the Hong Kong Government has taken active steps to promote Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, committing to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050. He believes that Hong Kong's current environmental assessment standards and tools are more well-developed than those in other regions. For example, BEAM Plus has expanded its service scope to the Mainland, the Belt and Road Initiative, and Europe starting in 2024. While over 80% of properties in Hong Kong being existing buildings, and new constructions accounting for only a small fraction, enhancing the sustainability performance of existing buildings is crucial to achieving carbon neutrality.
Owners, management companies, and project teams of existing buildings can utilise BEAM Plus to formulate a clear roadmap for improvements, progressively optimising various environmental measures. These include reducing carbon emissions during daily operations, lowering water and energy consumption, and promoting the use of natural, healthy spaces. In the future, for existing buildings to meet government policy targets, changes need to be implemented swiftly, and efforts to enhance their sustainability performance must be actively pursued.