CIC revamps Sustainable Construction Award to accelerate decarbonisation
New Low Carbon Citation and full-team submissions aim to drive measurable carbon reduction across the project life cycle, says CIC chairman
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Applications for the 2026 edition close on June 18. Key new elements include a dedicated Low Carbon Citation, mandatory joint submissions by full project teams and closer scrutiny of measurable sustainability performance during project delivery and construction.
According to CIC Chairman Ir Prof Thomas Ho On-sing, the award now serves as “an accelerator to showcase industry responsibility, commitment and collective advancement”.
The changes come as Hong Kong’s construction industry continues to account for a substantial share of Hong Kong’s carbon emissions. Government targets call for carbon neutrality by 2050, with national objectives providing additional direction.
The CIC has identified site electrification and clean energy adoption, management of construction and demolition waste as well as adoption of high-productivity construction and construction digitalisation methods as three key decarbonisation directions, which the updated award seeks to support by integrating them into everyday project delivery.
Under the revised rules, entries in the Project Category require input from the full team comprising main contractor, consultants, specialists and the client. This format promotes co-ordination from the design stage through to construction.
Judging pays explicit attention to safety culture in addition to environmental performance, social considerations and economic viability. Submissions are expected to include verifiable data, including information generated from tools such as CIC Carbon Assessment Tool and CIC Smart Waste Management Tool.
The new Low Carbon Citation is a special recognition under the Project Category, covering public building, private building, civil or repair, maintenance, alteration and addition projects. It recognises projects that demonstrate exceptional achievements in carbon reduction, particularly through innovation in materials, improved construction processes and low-carbon site practices.
Ir Prof Ho explained the intention: “We do not want empty talk. We want real implementation that gives the sector data and examples to follow.”
He further cited Chinachem Group’s Tonkin Street composite development in Kowloon as an exemplary project, which received the Gold Award in the Developer (Private Sector) category in the 2023 edition.
Through the CIC Green Product Certification Scheme, eligible borrowers can apply for green financing to support the manufacturing, distribution, and procurement of certified green building materials under the OCBC SME Sustainable Finance Framework. This arrangement helps address cost considerations that smaller contractors often raise when evaluating new technologies.
“We know many SMEs still hesitate because of concerns over cost or complexity,” he said. “That’s why we are bringing the tools directly to them and showing how they deliver safety, productivity and environmental gains at the same time.”
The Northern Metropolis is emerging as a major testbed for these innovations. Its scale provides space to trial full plant electrification, hydrogen pilots and circular material systems.
This approach reflects the life-cycle thinking the CIC promotes: decisions at design stage determine carbon performance through to operation and eventual deconstruction.
Ir Prof Ho believes successful local examples can extend influence on projects in the Greater Bay Area, where many Hong Kong developers hold substantial interests.
The CIC continues to develop supporting instruments, including an expanded material passport platform, to track and value reusable components in future cycles.
“What we want to see is real implementation,” he said, “that gives the construction sector data and examples to follow.”