Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, organised by Business Environment Council, co-organised by the BEAM Society Limited and the Hong Kong Green Building Council, with support from the Environment and Ecology Bureau, Development Bureau, and Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Jockey Club Energy Saver in Schools Project (“the Project”) was launched in October 2023.
In response to increasingly severe global climate change in recent years, the HKSAR Government announced the "Hong Kong Climate Action Plan 2050" in 2021, setting out the vision of "Zero-carbon Emissions‧Liveable City‧Sustainable Development", and outlining the strategies and targets for combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. In Hong Kong, buildings account for approximately 90% of electricity consumption and over 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Enhancing the energy efficiency of local school campuses will lower electricity consumption, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. In response, the Jockey Club Energy Saver in Schools Project is launched to help schools implement energy conservation initiatives and to support educational programmes focusing on green building technology.
The Project focuses on retrofitting schools’ energy-efficient equipment. This includes replacing air-conditioning and lighting systems with energy-efficient alternatives, designed to reduce electricity consumption by 15 to 20%. In addition, a wide range of educational activities such as capacity building programmes, customised green building tours and student ambassador programmes will be organised to enhance teachers’ and students’ knowledge and awareness of green building concepts, as well as to promote the importance of health and wellbeing of school occupants. Subsequently, participating schools will be certified with BEAM Plus Existing Schools Version 2.0, a tailor-made rating tool designed for existing primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong to showcase their sustainability performance and acknowledge their commitment to creating a sustainable and green campus.
The Project is collaborating with the schools of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui and Po Leung Kuk. Over 200 primary and secondary schools will join hands to help transform Hong Kong into a sustainable city.
Business Environment Council believes that the Jockey Club Energy Saver in Schools Project will help build awareness of green buildings among the younger generation. By extending energy saving concepts from schools to homes, communities, and society as a whole, we will create a net-zero future and make Hong Kong a more livable city.
