Hong Kong Guide? Guidelines to Account for and Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals for Buildings inside HKSAR

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The official bible for building owners and managers to quantify, report, and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals within building operations.

Brief Introduction

The Guidelines to Account for and Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals for Buildings (Commercial, Residential or Institutional Purposes) in Hong Kong were jointly issued by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD).

First published in  2008 and revised in 2010  (Second Edition), the Guidelines provide a standardized and scientifically based framework for building owners and managers to quantify, report, and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals within building operations.

Developed with reference to international standards such as the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064‑1, the document establishes a practical approach to account for emissions across Scope 1  (direct), Scope 2  (energy indirect), and optional Scope 3  (other indirect) categories.

The Guidelines aim to raise awareness, improve transparency, and support voluntary carbon management initiatives within Hong Kong’s building sector—an area responsible for nearly 90 percent of the city’s electricity use and, therefore, a major contributor to local carbon emissions.

By adopting the Guidelines, organizations can measure their GHG performance consistently, identify reduction opportunities, and align building operations with regional and global climate objectives.

If you want to know more about the GHGs carbon footprint calculation methodologies, principle, applicability, boundaries defintion. Definitely worth to read this 46 pages HK Guide!

1️⃣ The Hong Kong Guide is fully applicable to which types of buildings?

The Guidelines are fully applicable to buildings that are entirely used for:

Commercial purposes, including but not limited to office buildings, retail outlets, restaurants, hostels, and hotels.
Residential buildings, such as apartment blocks and housing developments.
Institutional buildings, including schools, universities, community centres, and sports complexes where greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting activities resemble those found in typical office or residential environments.

👉 In summary:

The Guidelines are intended primarily for commercial, residential, and most institutional buildingsin Hong Kong. They provide a structured and standardized approach for users and managers of these buildings to quantify, report, and improve GHG performance.

2️⃣ The Hong Kong Guide is not applicable to which types of buildings, and why?

The Guidelines are not applicable to industrial or other special‑purpose buildings, because such buildings have complex greenhouse gas‑emitting processes that differ substantially from those in standard office or residential operations.

Industrial facilities often include manufacturing, chemical processing, or energy‑intensive operations that involve unique emission sources (e.g. industrial furnaces, process gases, on‑site energy generation) not covered by the simplified quantification methodologies in the Guidelines.
The default emission factors and simplified calculation methods provided are not suitable for intricate or sector‑specific processes, leading to potential inaccuracies if applied outside their intended scope.

👉 In summary:

The Guidelines exclude industrial and special‑purpose buildings because the GHG‑emitting activities in those facilities are too complex for the simplified accounting methods provided for commercial, residential, and institutional buildings.

Official Download Sources

Environmental Protection Department (EPD), HKSAR Government
Guidelines to Account for and Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals for Buildings (2010 Edition, PDF):
https://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/sites/default/files/epd/gn_pdf/GN2014P097-2014c-e.pdf
Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) https://www.emsd.gov.hk/en/energy_efficiency/energy_management/publications/index.html

Document Information

Version: 2010  (Second Edition)
Authors: Environmental Protection Department & Electrical and Mechanical Services Department
Format: PDF, approximately 46 pages
Language: English and Chinese versions available