CH 1
INTRODUCTION
10
HKGBC Green Tenancy Driver for Office Buildings
Solutions for
Sustainability
There are many methods to boost
sustainability and reduce our
environmental footprint. These can
range from renewables and the
retrofit of building utilities to more
energy-efficient units, development
of smart energy grids, etc. However,
the underlying question places
emphasis on suitability leading up to
the question -
Which of the methods
are most appropriate for Hong
Kong?
To determine the suitability
of each method, criteria such as cost,
timespan of application, practicality,
feasibility, geographical features and
effectiveness are considered. After
extensive review and consideration,
the strategy for sustainability has been
formulated.
A building’s consumption of resources
depends on the behaviour of its
occupants and the management
method used. For example, constantly
leaving the HVAC (Heating Ventilation
and Air Conditioning) on in unoccupied
rooms leads to wastage of resources.
The above highlights the significant
impact of occupants’ behaviour and the
consequences caused by the absence of
a proper environmental management
method. This wastage of resources
can be prevented by educating and
introducing guidelines for the Tenant
which in turn leads to habitual and
behavioural change. As illustrated
by the example above, resource
consumption is directly affected by
the behaviour of the occupants. Hence,
the proposed strategy is to introduce
Green Tenancy
for office building
and its stakeholders such as Landlord,
Tenant and Property Management
Company to follow.
As electricity consumption of commercial
buildings contributes to more than
half of Hong Kong’s electricity usage,
a shift in occupants’ behaviour and
establishment of a proper set of
sustainable guidelines will result in a
notable reduction. Furthermore, Green
Tenancy can be initiated in a relatively
short time span, with a low setup cost,
and is feasible in the context of Hong
Kong.
Current
Examples
of Green Initiatives
employed by firms in
Hong Kong
In the current market in Hong Kong, a few companies are actively engaging in the
development and implementation of green guidelines for Tenant. A few examples
have been listed here:
