GHG Emissions in the Hong Kong Construction Industry | ECO-CM (Embodied Carbon Of Construction Materials) database

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Embodied carbon (EC) contributes a significant portion of the life cycle carbon footprint of the built environment. According to WWF, the construction sector is the second largest contributor of the carbon footprint in Hong Kong and 85% of the carbon footprint associated with the construction sector is embodied in imported goods and services. This study investigates the embodied carbon of locally used construction materials and develops the Embodied Carbon Of Construction Materials (ECO-CM) database for Hong Kong.

GHG Emission from the Construction Industry in Hong Kong

The global warming issue has attracted a great concern around the world in recent years. Construction activities account for much of worldwide energy consumption and carbon emission. According to the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2010, the construction sector is the second largest contributor of the carbon footprint in Hong Kong and 85% of the carbon footprint associated with the construction sector is embodied in imported goods and services. The figure on the left side shows the carbon footprint in Hong Kong by sectors.

The construction industry plays an important role in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in two ways. First, construction process, maintenance and renovation require equipment and machines, which consume fossil fuel, water and electricity. Second, construction of building facilities require building materials such as cement, concrete, steel, wood and plastics, which consume energy and produce GHGs during manufacturing process. Fuel combustion, electricity consumption and material embodied energy contribute GHG emissions and therefore carbon footprint.