10th Anniversary Booklet - The Professional Green Building Council

Congratulatory Messages from Supporting OrganisationsProf. LIEW Kim MeowHead and Chair Professor,Department of Civil andArchitectural Engineering,City University of Hong KongMr. LEE Shing See, GBS, OBE, JPChairman,Construction Industry CouncilThe Hon Bernard CharnwutCHAN, GBS, JPChairman, Council forSustainable DevelopmentOn behalf of the Department of Civil and ArchitecturalEngineering at City University of Hong Kong, I am most delightedto extend my warmest congratulations on the 10th Anniversary ofThe Professional Green Building Council.The Professional Green Building Council has been makingcontinuous and significant contributions to the sustainablebuilt environment as well as the prosperity of the society ofHong Kong.We sincerely wish The Professional Green Building Council and itsmembers every success in the years to come.It’s been 10 golden years for the Professional Green BuildingCouncil (PGBC) and many hail its establishment as the greatestthing since sliced bread.I cannot agree more. Buildings are one of the major consumers ofelectricity which accounts for 60% of the carbon footprint in thecity. As Hong Kong continues to grapple with worsening pollutionproblems, the public needs to acknowledge the importance ofcreating a sustainable built environment. Thanks to the effortsand dedication of the PGBC over the past decade, there is nowa general consensus that developing sustainable buildings is theway to go.Hats off also to the PGBC for founding the Hong Kong GreenBuilding Council (HKGBC), along with the Construction IndustryCouncil (CIC), the Business Environment Council (BEC) and theBEAM Society (BEAM). The HKGBC is now the pacesetter inpromoting green buildings and standards, and much of thatsuccess must be attributed to the concerted efforts of the fourfounding members.On behalf of the CIC, I wish the PGBC every success going forward.I hope we can join hands to build a sustainable Hong Kong for thebetterment of our future generations.On behalf of the Council for Sustainable Development, I would liketo extend my warmest congratulations to the Professional GreenBuilding Council (PGBC) on its 10th anniversary.In Hong Kong, energy usage in buildings accounts for amajority of the total electricity consumption. With increasingpublic awareness on the need to balancing the three pillars ofsustainable development – economic, social and environmental– and the rising demand on achieving better quality of living,the call for greener and more resource-efficient buildings andtechnology is becoming more important and imminent. To meetthis shared goal and mission of building a sustainable builtenvironment, it requires the concerted efforts of the community,and the wisdom, expertise and aspiration of the professionals inthe sector.Since its establishment in 2002, the PGBC has provided a platformfor aspiring professionals to join the cause of promoting greenbuilding and to strive for new frontiers. The path has beenchallenging but meaningful as we witness the PGBC in gaining wideacclaimedrecognition by the community at large. Over the years,the PGBC is also a close partner of the Council for SustainableDevelopment in taking forward initiatives of significance topromoting sustainable development in Hong Kong. I am confidentthat our paths will continue to cross in our shared vision to buildingtowards a greener and more sustainable Hong Kong.May I wish the PGBC every success in the years to come.Mr. Robert YOUNGChairperson, Friends ofthe Earth Hong KongMr. Tony ARNELChair, Green BuildingCouncil AustraliaMs. Naning ADIWOSOChairperson, GreenBuilding Council Indonesia116Sustainability is one of our crucial challenges today, and energyconsumption sits squarely in the middle of this challenge.In Hong Kong, fossil fuels still provide the main source of ourenergy. They power transportation as well as provide electricityfor our buildings. Yet fossil fuels are being depleted at anunsustainable rate. Moreover, emissions from combustion of fossilfuels harm our environment: even the cleanest of the fossil fuels –natural gas – produce carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas which isa main culprit in the global climatic change.In Hong Kong, buildings account for almost 90% of electricityconsumed, producing over 26,000 kilotonnes of carbon dioxideemissions every year. The importance of improving the energyefficiency of buildings in Hong Kong is therefore evident.In its first decade, The Professional Green Building Council hasmade significant contributions to upgrading the energy efficiencystandards in Hong Kong. Friends of the Earth (HK) applauds theefforts of the Council, and hopes to continue to work hand inhand with the Council in promoting more green buildings in HongKong.I wish the PGBC all the best as it strides into its second decade.I am very pleased to congratulate the Professional Green BuildingCouncil of Hong Kong on their tenth anniversary.Here in Australia, we have reached a similar milestone andboth Green Building Councils can look back on a decade ofachievement with great satisfaction.The GBCA has a strong association with the PGBC in Hong Kongand looks forward to enjoying further collaboration for manyyears to come.Please accept my personal best wishes.Congratulation for your 10th anniversary!It was truly a long journey that you have going through. Webelieve, that through this journey, you had bequeath lots ofsustainable knowledge towards building professional and createlots of transformation agent for sustainability.The real meaning of green building movement is to make a markettransformation. This transformation shall require several tools,including Green Professional. Building stake holders should beagent of change and a subject for this movement. It is not an easytask to bring a new paradigm in a settle community, but throughyour journey it is proven that ‘un-easy’ doesn’t mean that it is‘impossible’.Green Building Council Indonesia (GBC Indonesia) reallyappreciated all of your hard work and support to Green Buildingmovement in Hongkong, especially as being part of HongkongGreen Building Council founders. Collaboration is a key GreenBuilding movement, and we shall hope in the future there will bemore professional that will be taking part.Wish you great success ahead for many-many years to come!