The World Green Building Council has cemented a voice for Hong Kong in the international green building dialogue. Ada Fung, Director of HKGBC, has been appointed Board Secretary of the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC’s) Board of Directors. Ir Cary Chan, Executive Director of HKGBC, has been appointed as the Vice Chair of the World GBC’s Asia Pacific Regional Network (APN).

The global network of Green Building Councils (which represents around 70 countries) has set itself the considerable task of achieving several milestones by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement: limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius; reducing the building and construction sector’s CO₂ emissions by 84 gigatonnes; and ensuring all buildings have net-zero emissions.

Hong Kong has not signed the WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment. To date, 23 cities, 6 states and regions, and 23 businesses and organisations have signed. Among the cities, only one (Tokyo) is in Asia.

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“[Fung] has championed green building as one of the most effective solutions to climate change.”

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Fung’s appointment comes with high expectations from the WorldGBC’s CEO Cristina Gamboa, who says: “Ada has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of sustainability, and has championed green building as one of the most effective solutions to climate change. Our Board of Directors is an influential group of global leaders, which works hard to ensure WorldGBC delivers on our collective mission of green buildings for everyone, everywhere. As WorldGBC prepares to implement a new three-year strategy in 2020, Ada’s role as Board Secretary will be essential to fulfil the full potential of WorldGBC globally.”

Fung has been serving as the Director of the HKGBC since 2014 alongside her role as Deputy Director of Housing in Hong Kong (supervising the Development and Construction Division of the Housing Department).

She says of her new one-year appointment: “I am very happy to be elected as the Board Secretary after serving at the Board for one year. As a keen advocate for passive design, low carbon and low energy architecture in the built asset environment, I believe that all systems must integrate and human beings must work towards sustainable development, and green buildings would be no exception to this rule in our global village on Planet Earth.

She continues: “Quality and excellence, safety and health, green and sustainable development, well-being and harmonious community, societal growth and international collaboration must go hand in hand with each other, as a ‘habit’ instead of an ‘act’.”

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A ‘habit’, not an ‘act’.

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Chan is a professional engineer and has been the Executive Director of the HKGBC since 2016. His research and energy-saving initiatives over the years have won international awards. His knowledge will be put to good use at the WorldGBC.

Says Gamboa: “Whilst climate change is a global challenge, the solutions to it are often local and regional. Championing green building at these levels through our regional networks is therefore essential in order to deliver on our collective mission of green buildings for everyone, everywhere. Cary has been a true champion of sustainability across Asia Pacific, and his leadership as Vice Chair will help to strengthen the network of Green Buildings Councils in the region.”

The WorldGBC’s APN comprises 14 Green Building Councils based in the Asia Pacific region: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam.

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“Most of the countries within Asia Pacific have a lot in common such as stages of development in sustainability, climate and culture.”

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Says Chan on the occasion of his two-year appointment: “Most of the countries within Asia Pacific have a lot in common such as stages of development in sustainability, climate and culture. We are facing the same challenges on sustainability and how to formulate our goals, targets and strategies to fulfil our international responsibilities. I strongly believe that by working closely together, the WorldGBC with all national GBCs can lead the industry to build a sustainable built environment for the generations to come.”

We look forward to watching the developments and initiatives over the next one-to-two years.