Swire Properties Green Performance Pledge

Turning tenants into sustainability partners

Having surpassed its 2030 Scope 3 GHG emissions target for downstream leased assets ahead of schedule, Swire Properties is stepping up efforts to engage tenants in reducing emissions, waste and resource consumption across the building lifecycle

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Swire Properties’ proprietary Green Performance Pledge programme has attracted record participation from office tenants in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

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Published: 12:00am, 29 Jul 2026

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In the built environment, long-term sustainability performance depends on how a building is designed and constructed, as well as how occupiers manage and use the space each day.

That collective responsibility, carried by landlords and occupiers alike, is driving the next phase of Swire Properties’ sustainability vision. Following a year-long review, the developer has renewed its SD 2050 Strategy in its continuous efforts to align business performance, people and nature across the built environment.

The growing role of tenants was evident at the Green Performance Pledge Forum 2026, held at ArtisTree in Taikoo Place in early July. The event recognised the environmental performance of participating companies while providing a forum for tenants and businesses to exchange ideas on resilience and sustainability.

“Our goal is to create workplaces that are not only more sustainable, but also healthier, more inclusive and more connected,” said Don Taylor, Director, Office at Swire Properties.

Don Taylor, Director, Office at Swire Properties, says the GPP will expand its impact by helping tenants deliver more sustainable fit-outs and reinstatements, while promoting wellbeingand social impact.

Several existing programmes show how that vision is being put into practice through collaboration with corporate partners, with contributions being made by stakeholders at every level.

Turning sustainability goals into results

At Taikoo Place, a business district in Quarry Bay home to more than 35,000 workers, sustainability is embedded into everyday workplace experiences through a range of initiatives, including the Green Performance Pledge, Green Kitchen Initiative, The Loop Urban Farm, smart reusable cups and food containers programme and urban biodiversity programmes.

The smart reusable-container sharing programme, which lets customers borrow reusable tumblers and food boxes at participating outlets, combines discount incentives to encourage use. It has helped divert more than 60,000 single-use containers from landfill since launch.

Taikoo Place’s reusable-container programme has diverted more than 60,000 single-use containers from landfill since launch.

Launched in 2017, the Green Kitchen Initiative works with more than 150 dining outlets across Pacific Place, Taikoo Place, Cityplaza, Citygate Outlets and Swire Properties’ portfolio in the Chinese Mainland. It allows property management teams to discuss sustainability measures with food-and-beverage tenants before fit-out and renovation work begins. Energy and water use, indoor air quality and waste management can therefore be considered before equipment and layouts are finalised.

Retail design is another area where decisions made before opening can affect energy consumption, material use and waste for years. Through its Green Retail Partnership, Swire Properties has formed strategic partnerships with LVMH and Kering to improve ESG performance across their offices and stores.

The company is currently working with 10 LVMH maisons in planning the adoption of a jointly developed eco-design checklist for their new stores, and with Kering to promote sustainable store design and ESG data sharing.

These initiatives embed sustainability into the daily operations of the entire commercial communities, empowering offices, shops and restaurants to contribute to shared sustainability goals.

From shared spaces to shared responsibility

A key highlight of the forum was a panel discussion moderated by Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist at the Institute for the Environment at HKUST. It examined ways to incorporate resilience into daily operations and long-term business strategy amid greater uncertainty.

“Climate resilience is ultimately about people. The decisions we make have a direct and measurable impact on a company’s access to the capital market,” said Carmen Tsang, Head of Sustainable Investment Banking, Greater China, Crédit Agricole CIB.

This calls for policies and technology to be backed up by a culture of sustainability among the people occupying a building. Tenants can then participate in delivering environmental and social outcomes rather than remaining passive occupiers.

“Our challenge is how to innovate in ways that drive sustainability at no additional cost while creating value,” said Lit Ping Low, Group Sustainability Director at DFI Retail Group.

Her remarks underscored a recurring theme of the forum: the importance of making sustainability both practical and commercially viable.

The forum itself practised what it preached. Organised in accordance with Swire Properties’ latest Green Event Guide, sustainability was incorporated into its decorative materials, catering and waste management. The measures were intended to inspire wider adoption in everyday business operations.

A key highlight of the event was a panel discussion on building organisational resilience in an increasingly complex and unpredictable environment, with speakers sharing examples from their businesses.

The roadmap to 2050

With most of its 2030 performance targets already achieved, Swire Properties is increasingly looking to its tenants as partners in advancing collective sustainability goals.

Taylor said the collaboration would be expanded as the Green Performance Pledge addressed more of the premises lifecycle. This includes sustainable fit-outs and reinstatements that cut embodied carbon and construction waste, as well as initiatives covering wellbeing, community engagement and social impact.

The GPP Forum gives tenants an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into Swire Properties’ sustainability priorities, performance and initiatives.

The programme has attracted a record 256 tenants across Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, covering approximately 70 per cent of occupied lettable floor area in both regions, a 46 per cent increase year on year.

According to Swire Properties, participating tenants saved enough water for more than 18,000 household showers and enough electricity to power around 120 typical Hong Kong households for a year between April 2025 and March 2026. During the same period, more than 270 tonnes of waste were diverted from landfill.

Energy use reflects work patterns and equipment choices, while waste volumes are influenced by purchasing policies and disposal practices that determine whether materials are reused, recycled or sent to landfill.

The figures show how decisions made across hundreds of workplaces can add up to measurable savings, supporting Swire Properties’ SD 2050 vision of building the world’s most sustainable communities.

Through a unified system for assessing performance, the programme allows the landlord and tenants to identify where changes can be introduced and track the results. Occupiers have an active role in delivering greater environmental progress, while landlords must provide the systems and guidance needed to make those choices workable.