Framework of Building Environmental Assessment Methods

Abstract

Since the policy address by the Hong Kong SAR’s Chief Executive in Octaber 1999 there has been greater interest in environmentally sustainable or ‘green’ buildings, The judgement as to whether or not a building is environmentally sustainable goes beyond its site boundary, and what constitutes a green building remains open to debate. Building environmental assessment methods (BEAMs) are tools that can focus attention on actions to Improve building environmental performance, However, the framework, development and content of such tools is influenced by many factors, such as the environmental aspects targeted, type of building covered, extent of support from stakeholders, and the level of endorsement by government and end-users, etc. The paper discusses the framework under which voluntary BEAMs are being developed and operated, including the locol HK-BEAM scheme. It concludes that the coverage of environmental aspects, the extent to which building environmental performance can be improved, and the take-up of...