Speech by CS at Gala Dinner of World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2017 (English only) (with photo)
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KK (The Chairman of the Construction Industry Council, Mr Chan Ka-kui), Bay (The Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, Mr Wong Bay), Conrad (The Chairman of the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2017 Hong Kong Organising Committee, Mr Conrad Wong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. First of all, my warmest welcome to all of you for joining the Gala Dinner of the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2017.
I would also like to congratulate the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) on bringing this world-renowned event to Hong Kong in this special year that marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR. My special thanks go to Conrad and the Organising Committee for their hard work over the past three years. They have demonstrated the can-do spirit of Hong Kong people by putting into action the idea of staging for the first time this great event in Hong Kong – and here we are – having with us this evening some 1 800 guests from 55 countries across 6 continents!
Yesterday, I shared with you a package of measures that the Government has committed to implement to improve building energy efficiency. To this end, we will continue to invest in infrastructure, including land production and expansion of the air, sea and land transport networks, to support our social and economic development. Our annual expenditure on capital works projects has increased significantly from HK$62.4 billion (US$8 billion) in 2012-13 to HK$86.8 billion (US$11.1 billion) in 2017-18. By leveraging the sustainable building movement, the HKSAR Government will continue to deliver on our commitment to developing Hong Kong into a liveable, competitive and sustainable city.
Tonight we are here to celebrate the achievements of the sustainable building movement in Hong Kong. Awards will be given to projects with the highest BEAM Plus assessment scores under various categories. These pioneering projects demonstrated excellence in integrating green features in the construction of new buildings or retrofitting of existing architecture in our compact environment.
I am particularly proud that the Architectural Services Department has been recognised as one of the organisations with the most BEAM Plus Final Platinum Projects. The renovation of the Department's APB Centre has adopted a holistic approach with sustainable design featuring radiant cooling system and automatic control for building systems among other innovative design strategies. Not surprisingly, this project has received the highest score in BEAM Plus Interiors assessment.
The HKSAR Government promotes public-private partnership in taking forward our policy initiatives, including green building. I am very glad to see that two of our local organisations, Hang Seng Management College and Swire Properties Limited, also earned the recognition of having the most BEAM Plus Final Platinum Projects. Hang Seng Management College extensively uses rapidly renewable materials like bamboo and adopts innovative ideas including chilled ceiling and district cooling system to develop a green and sustainable campus. Swire, being a major private developer, has set an outstanding example for the industry by recycling over 60% of demolition and construction waste and utilising bio-diesel generator as a renewable energy source in its development projects.
Of course, there are many more excellent green building projects in Hong Kong. Many award-winning projects tonight including the CIC Zero Carbon Building will be covered in the green building technical visits, which will be arranged for the participants of this Conference this Thursday. If you prefer to experience this Asia’s World City on your own, I strongly encourage you to navigate the city through our extensive footbridge system to stay away from the traffic and hot weather on the ground. The Central Elevated Walkway, for example, is an extensive footbridge network spanning Admiralty, Central and parts of Sheung Wan along the beautiful Victoria Harbour. It is one of the most extensive multi-strata pedestrian walkway systems in the world that creates numerous fascinating spatial and visual experiences, making it a unique example of a sustainable urban design in this densely built metropolis.
Throughout this three-day Conference, many academic researches and business cases are presented in the seven parallel sessions covering all areas from building renovation and high-performance design to sustainable neighbourhood planning and community empowerment. I am sure all of you can find and join the sessions that best meet your interests and needs.
Sustainability is about meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of our future generations to meet theirs. Hence, listening to the views of our next generation and addressing their needs are critical to sustainable development. Under the theme of the Conference, an International Youth Competition is organised to invite innovative ideas from youngsters around the world. Out of a 100 entries from 25 countries, eight teams have been shortlisted to join the final tomorrow.
To address the unique challenges in different parts of the world, the shortlisted teams will showcase innovative solutions of varying scale from adaptive modular architecture to sustainable urban planning. I am most impressed by their boundless imagination and the complexity of their projects.
As in the words of the former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, "Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all". Through this Conference, we hope to show the world that Hong Kong stands ready to fight in an unprecedented battle against climate change through promoting sustainable development.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us join hands to make the world a better place for us and our many generations to come. Change starts with you and me.
I wish the rest of the Conference a great success and our distinguished guests from the Mainland and overseas a most pleasant stay in Hong Kong. Thank you.
Ends/Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Issued at HKT 20:09
Issued at HKT 20:09
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