The Productivity Council is developing an accreditation scheme to encourage more businesses to adopt carbon auditing and energy saving measures.
The scheme will cover owners of 1,000 buildings that receive government funds for carbon audit and improvement works, and other buildings and individual business tenants, said council environmental manager Tsang Kam-lam.
Applicants must achieve at least a 3 per cent reduction in energy consumption to obtain a certificate, Mr Tsang said. He hoped that by enhancing corporate image, accreditation would give incentives to businesses to save energy.
Meanwhile, the council will also help train professionals in carbon auditing. Starting from May, the organisation will offer courses jointly with the US-based World Resources Institute.
Carbon audit and improvement works were a more constructive option for businesses to go green than emissions trading, Mr Tsang said.
'It needs a bigger investment, but the impact on the environment is much bigger,' he said.
