Developers hungry for extra floor area for their projects via government concessions are queuing for environmental assessments of their buildings that are required under a revised policy that took effect yesterday.
Thirty new developments, including some big names, are already registered for a certificate from the Green Building Council.
Apart from government departments, which are expected to take a leading role, Swire Properties, Sino Land, Nan Fung, the MTR Corporation and the English Schools Foundation are on the list.
Under the revised policy - limiting the amount of extra floor area a developer can obtain for adding green and amenity facilities - a green building assessment is required before plans are submitted to the Buildings Department. The assessment results will be published in sales brochures to inform flat buyers of how much energy the design will save.
Among the 23 projects which have completed the registration and were disclosed by the Green Building Council yesterday, three are government projects - the cruise terminal building in Kai Tak, the redevelopment of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority headquarters, and quarters for the Customs and Excise Department.
Almost half of the disclosed projects are residential. They include the Housing Society's pioneering project in Tsing Yi, which allows people to rent a flat first and buy it later.
Also on the list is the 1,200-flat MTR project at Austin Station, Swire's two 50-storey towers in Seymour Road, Mid Levels; and a renewal project in Tai Kok Tsui codeveloped by Sino Land and the Urban Renewal Authority.