News & Events

Announcing First Six Certified Public and Private Buildings and
Advancing the Green Development of Existing Buildings Together
 

Hong Kong, 8 July 2025 – BEAM Plus is Hong Kong's leading green building assessment system with an operation history of nearly three decades. As an ongoing effort to enhance the rating system, BEAM Society Limited (BSL) and Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) held the official launch ceremony of BEAM Plus Existing Buildings (EB) Version 3.0 at Sky Lobby of International Commerce Centre (ICC) on 7 July 2025, where six existing building projects participating in pilot assessment received their certificates. The occasion was attended by over 200 industry leaders and experts, who gathered to celebrate the introduction of the upgraded tool and express their support for the green development of the city's existing buildings towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

The ceremony was officiated by Ms Bernadette LINN Hon-ho, JP, Secretary for Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, who was joined by Mr Nicholas HO Lik-chi, Commissioner for Belt and Road of the HKSAR Government; Mr Vincent CHOW Hau-keung, JP, Acting Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, the HKSAR Government; Sr Frankie SO Hung-fai, Chairperson of BSL, and Dr CHEUNG Tin-cheung, SBS, Chairman of the HKGBC to witness the comprehensive upgrade of BEAM Plus Existing Buildings and its commitment to promoting sustainable practices.

Sr Frankie SO Hung-fai, Chairperson of BSL, noted, "Today is a remarkable moment as we celebrate a key milestone in advancing the green development of existing buildings in Hong Kong. BSL has established for 15 years, we have been dedicated to optimising BEAM Plus assessment tools by embracing valuable feedback from stakeholders across the industry. As the most widely used green building assessment tool in Hong Kong, BEAM Plus addresses the entire lifecycle of buildings. Since its launch, over 94 million sqm of registered floor area and more than 2,000 BEAM Plus projects have been rated. Among these, new buildings account for 63%, while existing buildings represent 33%. We believe the success of this initiative relies on the collective efforts of everyone here. Looking ahead, we hope to gain your continued support to drive a wider adoption of BEAM Plus EB v3.0 across all sectors – from government bodies to private sectors. Let's join hands to drive the green development of built environment, not only in Hong Kong but also the Belt and Road Region and beyond, creating a sustainable future for generations to come."

Dr CHEUNG Tin-cheung, SBS, Chairman of HKGBC, remarked, "I am truly delighted to witness the launch of the new BEAM Plus EB v3.0. This marks a significant milestone in the sustainable development of Hong Kong. By introducing the theme certification mechanism, it provides tailored flexibility for projects to meet the latest societal needs, thereby helping to reduce carbon emissions from existing buildings and promoting the operation and management of green and healthy buildings. We are pleased to see the active participation of industry stakeholders in our pilot programme. Their invaluable experiences have helped us refine this new version of rating tool. Looking forward, the Council is eager to collaborate with all sectors in transforming Hong Kong into the world's leading smart green city, and we stand ready to export our expertise to the Greater Bay Area and even to Asia and the world."

Ir Alvin LO Tsz-yeung, Honorary Secretary of BSL and Convenor of Steering Committee for BEAM Plus EB v3.0, shared, "To further promote the green development of existing buildings, BEAM Plus EB v3.0 aims to reshape the paradigm of 'green' existing buildings by driving wider engagement, promoting carbon footprint management, facilitating net-zero emissions, and heightening public awareness to inspire behavioural changes. New and existing buildings adopt different environmental practices as new buildings can be optimised according to assessment requirements before completion, while existing buildings often confront with the effects of time and changing environmental conditions. Therefore, we developed this new version specifically for existing buildings to encourage comprehensive green upgrades. The new version also features a flexible theme certification mechanism that streamlines the assessment processes and improves the rating methodology. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the steering committee and all stakeholders participating in the pilot assessment for their support and contribution. Their feedback and insights have played a crucial role in refining this new tool. We look forward to seeing more existing buildings engaging in green building assessments and upgrade towards a smarter, greener and more resilient future."

The BEAM Plus EB v3.0 (Beta Version) introduced last year saw the active participation of six exemplary buildings, ranging from government bodies, property management companies, to non-governmental organisations and private enterprises. During the ceremony, the project representatives shared their experiences and insights in using the new version, demonstrating their commitment to sustainable development.
 

Pilot Projects Certified with BEAM Plus Existing Buildings v3.0 (Beta Version)

Type	Project Name	Project Applicant	Rating
Residential	Cho Yiu Chuen	Hong Kong Housing Society	Gold
Office (Government)	Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Headquarters	Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the HKSAR Government	Platinum
Office (Private)	International Commerce Centre	Kai Shing Management Services Limited	Platinum
Commercial	Park Central (Shopping Arcade)	Hong Yip Service Company Limited - Member of Sun Hung Kai Properties Group	Gold
Hotel	The Salisbury - YMCA of Hong Kong	The Young Men's Christian Association of Hong Kong	Gold
Office (Private)	Yue Hwa International Building	ONESIME LIMITED	Platinum

BEAM Plus EB v3.0 introduces a number of enhancements. In addition to the traditional comprehensive assessment approach, the new version also introduces a theme certification mechanism that provides tailored flexibility for projects with diverse certification needs to address evolving demands. The new version focuses on the practicality of the assessment tools by streamlining assessments and improving submission processes. The redesigned rating methodology further encourages greater participation amongst local existing buildings to enhance their energy efficiency and environmental management measures by eliminating pre-assessment procedures, streamlining assessment processes, and adopting a transparent rating methodology.
 

Six Innovative Features of BEAM Plus Existing Buildings v3.0

Addressing Global Challenges	Responding to global climate issues and extreme weather, ensuring that existing buildings can adapt to current challenges.
Fostering Continuous Improvement	Supporting existing buildings in enhancing environmental performance through annual monitoring and improvements.
Aligning with Net-Zero Goals	Setting clear targets for improving energy efficiency to contribute to the global goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Influencing Occupant Behaviour	Encouraging behavioral changes among building users through demand-side management strategies.
Promoting Building Upgrades	Facilitating sustainable improvements for aging buildings, regardless of their age, to unlock their sustainable development potential.
Adopting Practical Strategies	Offering practical and flexible approaches, including theme certification mechanism, to encourage more existing buildings to participate in green assessment.

BSL is responsible for developing the standards and conducting assessments for BEAM Plus, whereas the HKGBC funds the development of BEAM Plus, and oversees project registration and certification.
 

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About the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC)

The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) is a non-profit, member-led organisation established in 2009 and has become a public body under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance since 2016. The HKGBC strives to promote the standard and development of sustainable buildings in Hong Kong. The HKGBC also aims to raise green building awareness by engaging the government, the industry and the public, and to develop practical solutions for Hong Kong's unique, subtropical built environment of high-rise, high density urban area, leading Hong Kong to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and to become a world's exemplar of green building development. The Founding Members of the HKGBC include the Construction Industry Council (CIC), the Business Environment Council (BEC), the BEAM Society Limited (BSL) and the Professional Green Building Council (PGBC).

To learn more about the HKGBC, please visit www.hkgbc.org.hk. 

About BEAM Society Limited (BSL)

BEAM Society Limited (BSL) is an independent, non-profit membership organisation established in 2010.  BSL is also recognised as a tax-exempt charitable organisation of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap 112) and as a public body under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap 201) since 2016. BEAM Society was established in 1996, which was later incorporated in 2010 as BEAM Society Limited. Being the developer and owner of the Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM), BSL is committed to administering and developing the BEAM Plus Assessment Tools.  We offer impartial assessment on building sustainability and build capacity by providing training for BEAM practitioners – BEAM Professionals (BEAM Pro) and BEAM Affiliates.

To get more information about BSL, please visit www.beamsociety.org.hk.
 

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