11 August 2005 - Press Release
On-line Rating of Buildings' Environmental Friendliness to be Launched Before End 2005

The HK-BEAM Society today announced the coming launch of its "on-line" web-based tool that building developers, architects, engineers, property and facility managers can use to evaluate the environmental sustainability of their properties. Applicable to buildings of all types, the tool will be launched by October 2005 and will be available at no cost to the user.

Mr. Michael Arnold, Chairman of the HK-BEAM Society, said, "we're very pleased to be nearing completion of this on-line self assessment. The idea was suggested by numerous parties within the property industry as a way to help them to quickly appraise the environmental performance of their buildings and how they can be improved. The on-line tool will not replace formal HK-BEAM certification but will enable preliminary assessments during the early stages of design for professionals and provide an excellent means of education for students".

Initiated by industry in 1996, HK-BEAM has become a world-leading scheme to measure, improve and label the environmental sustainability of buildings. More than 100 Hong Kong properties - residential, office, commercial, institutional and mixed use - have so far undergone assessment. Covering over 60 million square feet of floor area, this makes HK-BEAM on a per capita basis the most widely used scheme of its kind in the world. HK-BEAM buildings include some 52,000 residential units, equivalent to the homes of some 150,000 Hong Kong residents.

"We've received a lot of praise for our work", Mr. Arnold continued, "given that HK-BEAM has been developed and is operated on a self financing basis without any public funding. Wee also encouraged the whole of our industry to share in the ownership of HK-BEAM so that it develops and is implemented in line with stakeholder needs and expectations".

HK-BEAM continues to evolve and now addresses over 100 best practice criteria - all beyond statutory requirements - in six areas: the indoor environment; energy efficiency; material use and waste; water quality and conservation; site aspects and ecology; and innovations. New and existing buildings are assessed on a voluntary basis, and receive a HK-BEAM label of 'Platinum', 'Gold', 'Silver' or 'Bronze' according to their achievement of the overall standards required. A portion of the assessment fees is dedicated to HK-BEAM research and development without any impact on the public purse.

Similar to other schemes overseas, HK-BEAM assessments cover the 'whole-life' of building design, construction and operation. However, HK-BEAM is quite unique in that the final certificate is not confirmed until building completion after the necessary checks have been made. "Assessing buildings 'as-built' rather than 'as designed' is an attribute which is highly valued by our clients", said Mr. Arnold.

Mr. C.M. Leung, Permanent Secretary for Housing, said in a recent reception to celebrate the commencement of the 100th HK-BEAM Assessment, "The aims of HK-BEAM are clear: to assess the performance of buildings; to improve performance through the HK-BEAM process; and to certify and label the performance for the life cycle of the building. The focus is on benchmarking and improvement so that we can move towards a healthier and more long lasting building environment."

Speaking at the same reception, Mr. Russell Black, Member of the Provisional Construction Industry Coordination Board, added "HK-BEAM brings benefits to various sectors of the community. For developers, designers and contractors, it provides recognition for their efforts towards environmental protection in Hong Kong, helping to distinguish their products from others in the marketplace. For owners and occupiers, it provides reassurance that due attention has been given to the basic principles of corporate social responsibility in the design, construction and management of the premises. For everyone, it is helping to improve the quality of the environment".

About the HK-BEAM Society

The HK-BEAM Society is the non-profit and member-based association that owns and implements HK-BEAM, the Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method. Initiated in 1996, HK-BEAM has become Hong Kong's most widely recognised industry benchmark to measure, improve and label the environmental sustainability of buildings. For more information, please visit www.hk-beam.org.hk

About the Business Environment Council

The Business Environment Council (BEC) has been taking a leading role since the inception of the HK-BEAM and served as its secretariat. All the assessments are conducted by BEC professionals. BEC is a leading independent cross-sector business association in Hong Kong advocating sustainable development. Its aim is to balance economic, social and environmental interests whilst empowering competitiveness. It is a regional network partner of World Business Council for Sustainable Development. For further details, please visit www.bec.org.hk.

Press contact
Mr. Kevin Edmunds, Secretary, HK-BEAM Society, T. (852)