SOUTHEAST ASIA BUILDING29 Mar 2021
Hong Kong’s first “Advancing Net Zero” Ideas Competition for carbon neutrality registration is now open
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(In the photo: From left to right: Mrs Elizabeth Kok, Director and Senior Advisor of Swire Properties Limited, Mr Cheung Hau-wai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council; and Ar. Ada Fung, Chairperson of the Organising Committee of the ANZ Ideas Competition.)

Hong Kong – The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) has launched the first "Advancing Net Zero" Ideas Competition in Hong Kong along with Swire Properties as the Principal Partner. The project aims to advocate the World Green Building Council's global project of "Advancing Net Zero" (ANZ) and the Hong Kong Government's environmental target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.  The Competition invites international industry stakeholders, designers, academia, and technology experts to contribute ideas on how to move Hong Kong's building sector towards carbon neutrality – a net-zero position - for a sustainable future. Winners and shortlisted candidates will be eligible for a total of HK$1.2 million in prize money.   

The Competition will be held from March to October 2021 in two stages, and are available in two categories – (i) Future Building and (ii) Existing Building. Under the key theme of Advancing Net Zero, HKGBC looks to stimulate ideas, concepts, and solutions that can push boundaries in designing net-zero buildings under three sub-themes: (i) Zero Carbon and Ultra-Energy Efficient, (ii) Embodied Carbon, and (iii) Healthy and sustainable.  The "Advancing Net Zero" Ideas Competition has been well received by local and international industry leaders, academia and forward thinkers from the architectural, design, engineering, surveying and built asset industries. Mr Cheung Hau-wai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council said: “Hong Kong is one of the world’s top tier metropolises and is famous for its high-rise architecture. Its subtropical climate with immense building density means it is crucial for us to implement low carbon strategies and generate energy-efficient design solutions for buildings. We look forward to interacting and exchanging ideas with multi-talented experts around the world in the hope of creating a low carbon future for our community.”

Some world-renowned names will sit on influential Jury Panel including:

- Prof. Christopher Chao (Dean of Engineering and Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of The University of Hong Kong)

- Ms Tanya Cox (Chair, World Green Building Council)

- Prof. Jiang Yi (Director, Building Energy Research Centre of Tsinghua University)

- Mrs Elizabeth Kok (Director & Senior Advisor, Swire Properties)

- Prof. Lam Khee Poh (Provost's Chair Professor of Architecture and Building & Dean of School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore)

- Prof. Stephen Lau (Honorary Professor, Faculty of Architecture of The University of Hong Kong)

- Ms Meaghan Lloyd (Partner, Gehry Partners, LLP)

- Mr William McDonough (Founding Partner, William McDonough + Partners)

Here’s the key timeline of the Competition.

Activities                                          Date

Open for registration                        25 March 2021

Closing date for registation              7 May 2021

Stage One                                         May – June 2021

Stage Two                                         July – October 2021

Announcement of final results          October – December 2021

For more information, visit https://www.hkgbc.org.hk/