Metro City Square SIngapore

The future is green for Hong Kong, as sustainability initiatives advance for the region’s growing urban population.
For the first time, the city hosted a Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series event convened by United Technologies’ industry-leading brands Carrier, Otis and Chubb, with support from the Hong Kong Green Building Council.
Carrier, the heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration specialist, elevator and escalator maker Otis and security and fire services supplier Chubb, are parts of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
Green Building people*From left to right: Bill Browning, founding partner, Terrapin Bright Green, LLC; Ryan Mai, president, UTC Building & Industrial Systems, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan; Wong Kam Sing, JP, secretary for the environment, Environment Bureau; Conrad Wong, chairman, Hong Kong Green Building Council; John Mandyck, chief sustainability officer, UTC Building & Industrial Systems; and Rick Fedrizzi, CEO, U.S. Green Building Council.
Approximately 150 international thought leaders and green building professionals discussed the growing demand for green buildings around the world, and particularly in Hong Kong, while highlighting their environmental and economic value. Hong Kong’s government has set several policy initiatives, including recently announcing its first energy saving plan for the built environment, which sets a new target to reduce energy intensity by 40 per cent, the equivalent of reducing energy use by six per cent, over the next 10 years.
UTC Building and Industrial System Infographic*Launched in 2011, the Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series convenes sustainability thought leaders and international building industry experts to transform the built environment.
The campaign encourages residents to be “Energy Aware” and “Energy Wise” and has received support from the Hong Kong Green Building Council, which plans to participate in the plan’s stakeholder dialogue platform, bringing together a wide range of green building stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of green building by the private sector.
This is in addition to Hong Kong’suse of sustainable building products for public works projects, commitment to a recycling fund to encourage further sustainability in the recycling industry and plans to reduce carbon emissions by reducing food waste in landfills by 40 per cent.
Hong Kong has an incredible reputation for preserving its natural resources and recognises that these efforts must continue as its urban population grows, especially for the future of buildings and food,” said John Mandyck, chief sustainability officer, UTC Building & Industrial Systems.
“Green buildings are the best solution for growing cities around the globe, providing an excellent business and environmental value for business owners and residents alike. With strong governmental support and understanding of these benefits, Hong Kong is poised for success in its continuing journey toward a more sustainable future.”
Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of both the US Green Building Council and the Green Building Certification Institute, discussed strategies to achieve green buildings for everyone within the current generation.
“Green buildings reduce consumption of energy, water, precious resources and money,” said Fedrizzi. “Given the world’s finite resources, the best way to accommodate a growing global population is with green buildings – a space for all to live, work, play and learn in.”
Bill Browning, founding partner of Terrapin Bright Green, LLC and a founding member of the US Green Building Council’s board, presented on biophilic design, the connection between the built environment and the natural world, and how neuroscience, endocrinology and evolutionary psychology are changing the design of buildings.
“Reconnecting people with nature in the built environment has significant benefits for health, productivity and well-being,” said Browning. “Green buildings are constructed with nature and environmental impacts in mind, but they also provide a healthy, productive space for people who, on average, spend the majority of their days indoors.”
The event also featured remarks from Conrad Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, about green buildings in Hong Kong. He provided insights on how buildings can become more energy-efficient and lessen carbon emissions.
Since 2011, the Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series has reached nearly 3000 professionals through 25 lectures in Brazil, China, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE and Vietnam.

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