Revamp of labelling to give more accurate environmental rating
The city's first Green Building Council will be set up early this year to revamp the voluntary green building labelling scheme - amid embarrassment over the fact some of the city's much-criticised 'wall buildings' have been dubbed 'green buildings' under the current scheme.
Of 150 developments assessed under the existing labelling scheme, at least three rated excellent have been criticised by environmentalists for their high-density and bulky designs that block air circulation.
They include Henderson Land Development's massive Grand Promenade in Sai Wan Ho, which was at the centre of a row last year when it was found that concessions granted for the inclusion of 'green features' had enabled the developer to double the gross floor area. The others are Yoho Town in Yuen Long and Vision City in Tsuen Wan.
All three have been singled out by environment group Green Sense for their wall effect.
Founding committee members of the imminent Green Building Council said the present labelling scheme was lacking in that it sometimes certified as green buildings that created a wall effect. 'The current scheme mainly looks at the energy performance of buildings but has ignored the developments' impact on the neighbourhood,' said architect and council founding committee member Wong Kam-sing.
He added that Hong Kong was lagging behind international best practice in designing sustainable buildings.