Hong Kong builders respond to demand for sustainable construction methods as city pursues carbon neutrality
- By reducing costs, waste and construction time, sustainable techniques present a compelling business case, says Yau Lee Holdings vice-chairman
- Government has pledged carbon neutrality by 2050, and decarbonising the city’s buildings will be crucial to meeting this goal
Hong Kong building contractor Yau Lee Holdings is seeing greater demand for environmentally friendly construction techniques that improve the sustainability of the built environment to help the city reach its carbon neutrality goal.
One such technique is modular integrated construction (MIC), which is becoming a mainstream construction method in the city as it not only requires less electricity and labour, but also reduces materials waste and the time it takes to complete projects, according to Conrad Wong Tin-cheung, vice-chairman of Yau Lee.
“Modular integrated construction is a trend that is becoming our company’s core competency,” said Wong, who will take part in a panel discussion on building and construction at the GreenTech Summit 2024, taking place on February 26 as part of the Hong Kong Green Week event organised by the government.
“We are trying to build a business case and demonstrate that you have to be green … and that doing good means doing well,” said Wong.
MIC involves factory assembly of free-standing modules, complete with finishes, fixtures and fittings, which are then transported to the building site for installation. Adopting MIC shortens the total construction time by about 30 per cent on average while also minimising waste, according to the Construction Industry Council.