Dear Members and Partners,
In the Gregorian Calendar - March 25th previously marked the start of the New Year. Times change and the world view of normality shifts. This year BEC marks March 25th by organising a leadership forum on integrating people and technology to effect change and achieve sustainability for 2020 and beyond. This is the day before Earth Hour, which serves as a timely reminder that technology is only part of the successful equation and that acceptance and adoption of technology and positive behaviour are also critical factors in the necessary shift. An outline of our EnviroSeries event is included below, and a detailed rundown can be found here. The key focus of the event will be cultivating a culture to nurture talents, and creating transformational business models through active adoption of innovative technology.
April 1st follows hot on the heels of March 25th – and this year heralds a significant shift in the regime for the award of gross floor area concessions for new buildings. This is tied in with the evaluation of the environmental performance of new building designs and assessment of energy performance. In this e-Flash we highlight the key aspects of the professional practice note that defines the regime: PNAP APP151 including the requirement for BEAM plus assessment as a pre-requisite for the award of GFA concessions.
Bridging the above time period, BEC will be participating in the Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition: 31st March – 2nd April. Please come and visit our participating delegation. Last but not least, on behalf of BEC, I am delighted to welcome our new Corporate Members, Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) Limited, Hilti (Hong Kong) Limited, Jones Lang LaSalle, Neonlite Electronic & Lighting (HK) Limited; and Delight Technology Company Limited as our General Member.
Looking forward to catching you on the sidelines of one of these events.
Warmest regards.
Dr Andrew L Thomson
Chief Executive Officer
Business Environment Council
Content
BEC Signature Event
Trend
New BEC Members
BEC Initiative
BEC Consultancy
BEC Supports event
Sustainability Leadership Forum: Integrating Technology with People to Lead Hong Kong Beyond 2020, 25 March 2011, Room S221, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
While Business Environment Council is working closely with business community and broader society on various stakeholder engagement initiatives, we identify the opportunities of developing new business models with innovative technology, as well as discover the gap between technological advancement and talent development to embrace the new challenges. Having a vision that Hong Kong businesses will become Asia’s leaders in practicing and enabling sustainable development, BEC is dedicated to establish the dialog between thought leaders, academics and industry players. Participants could expect dynamic idea exchange on this topic in our annual signature EnviroSeries conference on 25 March 2011, entitled “Sustainability Leadership Forum: Integrating Technology with People to Lead Hong Kong Beyond 2020”.
In this one-day conference, thought leaders, key players in the industries, and distinguished academics will share their insights in cultivating the enabling culture when nurturing talents and creating transformational business models with innovative technology.
The programme design will follow an inverted pyramid approach. Official from the Hong Kong Government, and a renowned economist and commentator well-versed with China’s development would set the tone of the event by outlining the holistic picture of regional development. Leading industrial players will then share the path-breaking business models to achieve long-term and sustainable vision with wide adoption of latest technology.
Legal advisor and venture capitalist would discuss in the luncheon of how to better manage the risks and investment in emerging technology. Transitioning to the afternoon session, audience could expect rich case study sharing and dynamic debate between researchers and commercial enterprises on the notion of nurturing talents and technology. To close the day of exciting idea sharing, BEC is delighted to bring audience a successful collaboration between Swire Properties and Tsinghua University that realises the theme of the conference.
For detail programme rundown and registration, please click here for the event page.
Trend
Gross Floor Area Concessions for New Buildings
The Buildings Department has released the Practice Note for Approved Professionals (PNAP) APP151 “Building Design to Foster a Quality and Sustainable Built Environment”, which would be effective on 1 April 2011.
What Does the PNAP Mean for Your New Building Project?
The new requirements are related to gross floor area (GFA) concessions, which include:
- Registration of the project for a BEAM Plus certification with the Hong Kong Green Building Council
- BEAM Plus Provisional Assessment prior to construction
- Estimated (simulated) energy performance of the building
- BEAM Plus Final Assessment
This is a major step forward to reduce the environmental impact and energy consumption of Hong Kong’s new buildings. It will also significantly reduce building operating costs and compliments Hong Kong’s Building Energy Codes and Carbon Reduction Strategy.
Building owners must now commit to complying with PNAP APP151 for new buildings, to gain the GFA concessions.
The Requirement
According to PNAP APP151, having BEAM Plus certification is one of the pre-requisites in GFA concessions.
Generally this means that the building must satisfy the current building energy codes; reduce water consumption by at least 10% compared with the BEAM Plus baseline; achieve minimum standards of fresh air provision, as well as meeting minimum ratings in each aspect of site, energy use and indoor environmental quality.
The Opportunity
In addition to the gross floor area concessions, BEAM rated buildings offer branding and marketing opportunities and maximise the asset value. BEAM rated buildings also offer significant reductions in energy use. As energy costs continue to rise, energy conservation is just plain good business.
BEC New Members
BEC warmly welcomes three new members to join this sustainable platform for businesses as Corporate and General Members! We are also delighted to have two dedicated members upgrading from General Member to Corporate Member.
Corporate Members
Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) Limited (Upgraded)
A leading provider and system integrator in knowledge and document management solutions in Hong Kong. According to IDC reports, it has been ranked No.1 in Hong Kong's colour copier/printer multifunction product market for thirteen consecutive years (1997-2009).
Hilti (Hong Kong) Limited
A reputed leader in fastening products and drilling tools in the Hong Kong and Macau market. Its competitive advantages are gained through intensive applications know-how, close contact with its clients and innovation.
Jones Lang LaSalle
A financial and professional services firm specializing in real estate services. The firm offers integrated services delivered by expert teams worldwide to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying or investing in real estate.
Neonlite Electronic & Lighting (HK) Limited (Upgraded)
A phenomenally successful global brand “MEGAMAN®“ – a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of innovative, eco-friendly, energy saving lamps using Compact Fluorescent Lamp and LED technology.
General Member
Delight Technology Company Limited
One of the leaders in office/ building security industry. It has been working closely with major companies such as Kai Shing Management Services Limited, Guardian Property Management Limited, KMB, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited.
BEC Initiative
Corporate Sustainability For Schools (CS4Schools)
To nurture future leaders in their early age, BEC organises the CS4Schools programme, which is a 2-year programme funded by the Sustainable Development Fund, to provide valuable opportunities to introduce corporate sustainability concept, success stories and leading practices through a series of activities, such as school talks and company visits.
Launched in October 2009, over 7,800 high school students and teachers have received the message of corporate sustainability through more than 50 in-school talks delivered by BEC secretariats. To date, with the support from the CS4Schools Corporate Partners, about 1,500 students had seen and experienced how the local corporate practice corporate sustainability through the company visits.
BEC will continue with our prevailing efforts on assisting the company visit participants to share with their fellow schoolmates what they had learnt during the CS4Schools activities. Please click here for more details.
BEC Consultancy
Buildings and Energy Efficiency (BEE) Team
Continues to serve the industry
The BEE team continues to work conscientiously on over 160 BEAM contracts, which covers the whole life cycle from initial building design to stages after the tenants move in to the new buildings. Besides, the team is also performing energy or carbon audits, as well as BEAM+ preliminary assessment for the clients.
Corporate Sustainability (CS) Team
The CS Team possesses the professional know-how to incorporate CS to your company from beginning stage towards maturing stage.
Environmental Management (EM) Team
Pursuing environmental management excellence
The EM team continues to provide exceptional consultancy service in developing Environmental Management System for HIT Yantian International Container Terminals EMS Development.
BEC Supports Event
Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition (MIECF)
This year the Business Environment Council is once again proud to be the supporting organisation of the MIECF, which will be held on 31 March – 2 April at Venetian Macao.
The MIECF brings together visitors and exhibitors from the region for 3 days of in-depth discussions on different environmental issues, focused on brining to the crowd the latest trend of sustainable developments through series of engagements such as Green Forum, Green Showcase, Green Public Day and more.
BEC will support the MIECF by showcasing its mission and vision at the exhibition. Our booth number at the exhibition is M14. Please drop by!
Seminar on Office Development in Hong Kong
The Development Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR is delighted to invite you to the Seminar on Office Development in Hong Kong on 12 March 2011 (Saturday). Keynote and other Speakers include, Mrs Carrie Lam, Secretary for Development; Mr Jimmy Leung, Director of Planning; Dr Nick Axford, Executive Director, Head of Asia Pacific Research, CB Richard Ellis; Mr Thomas Ho, Property Director, MTR Corporation.
Seminars on 2011 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence – Information Dissemination and Experience Sharing
Sponsored by the Environment and Conservation Fund, the Environmental Campaign Committee has launched the "2011 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence" (HKAEE) to encourage businesses and organizations to adopt green management, and to present them with an opportunity to benchmark and recognize their commitments towards environmental protection. Business Environment Council (BEC) is one of the eleven organizers of the HKAEE.
The HKAEE comes into its forth year. It provides four types of recognition - the 'Sectoral Awards', the 'Environmental Labels', the 'Carbon "Less" Certificate scheme' and the newly launched “Green Innovations Awards”.
Five Information Dissemination and Experience Sharing Seminars with different topics will be organized in April-May 2011. Experienced professionals and industry practitioners will share their expertise and insights on how to maximize efficiency by adopting various environmental measures to protect the environment and reduce costs in the long-run. In addition, they will share their experiences and achievements in participating in the HKAEE. Eligibility, assessment procedures and application procedures of the 2011 HKAEE will also be introduced in the seminars.