CIC revamps Sustainable Construction Award to accelerate decarbonisation

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Applications for the 2026 edition close on June 18. Key new elements include a dedicated Low Carbon Citation, mandatory joint submissions by full project teams and closer scrutiny of measurable sustainability performance during project delivery and construction. 

According to CIC Chairman Ir Prof Thomas Ho On-sing, the award now serves as “an accelerator to showcase industry responsibility, commitment and collective advancement”.

The changes come as Hong Kong’s construction industry continues to account for a substantial share of Hong Kong’s carbon emissions. Government targets call for carbon neutrality by 2050, with national objectives providing additional direction. 

The CIC has identified site electrification and clean energy adoption, management of construction and demolition waste as well as adoption of high-productivity construction and construction digitalisation methods as three key decarbonisation directions, which the updated award seeks to support by integrating them into everyday project delivery.

Under the revised rules, entries in the Project Category require input from the full team comprising main contractor, consultants, specialists and the client. This format promotes co-ordination from the design stage through to construction.
 
Judging pays explicit attention to safety culture in addition to environmental performance, social considerations and economic viability. Submissions are expected to include verifiable data, including information generated from tools such as CIC Carbon Assessment Tool and CIC Smart Waste Management Tool.

The new Low Carbon Citation is a special recognition under the Project Category, covering public building, private building, civil or repair, maintenance, alteration and addition projects. It recognises projects that demonstrate exceptional achievements in carbon reduction, particularly through innovation in materials, improved construction processes and low-carbon site practices. 

Ir Prof Ho explained the intention: “We do not want empty talk. We want real implementation that gives the sector data and examples to follow.”

He further cited Chinachem Group’s Tonkin Street composite development in Kowloon as an exemplary project, which received the Gold Award in the Developer (Private Sector) category in the 2023 edition.

As the first private residential development built by Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) by private developer in Hong Kong, the project achieved a 68 per cent reduction in construction waste and a 75 per cent reduction in construction noise.  

According to Ir Prof Ho, comparable data-driven approaches are being explored or adopted in modular public-sector projects.

These rapid-delivery, modular projects, many of which use MiC methods, can draw on tools such as the CIC Carbon Assessment Tool, CIC Smart Waste Management Tool and CIC Green Product Certification Scheme to support carbon assessment, improve waste management and facilitate the selection of low-carbon material from construction materials and carbon emissions from on-site construction processes.

Ir Prof Ho views these cases as demonstration of the award’s potential to encourage wider adoption. The CIC has also established links between verified low-carbon performance and financing. 

Through the CIC Green Product Certification Scheme, eligible borrowers can apply for green financing to support the manufacturing, distribution, and procurement of certified green building materials under the OCBC SME Sustainable Finance Framework. This arrangement helps address cost considerations that smaller contractors often raise when evaluating new technologies.

The drive for innovation gains further momentum in 2026, which the CIC has designated the Year of AI. Ir Prof Ho reported that more than 50 AI-related initiatives have been launched, with more than 30 already implemented on active sites, and that the AI Assistant for construction safety developed by the CIC has been deployed on more than 250 projects. 

A series of briefing sessions for small and medium-sized enterprises began in May to present these solutions in accessible terms. 

“We know many SMEs still hesitate because of concerns over cost or complexity,” he said. “That’s why we are bringing the tools directly to them and showing how they deliver safety, productivity and environmental gains at the same time.”

The Northern Metropolis is emerging as a major testbed for these innovations. Its scale provides space to trial full plant electrification, hydrogen pilots and circular material systems.

The CIC has conducted a consultancy study on the feasibility of construction site electrification and clean energy adoption. The study assesses Hong Kong’s readiness for electrification and renewable energy solutions and identifies pathways for reducing reliance on diesel-powered equipment at construction sites.

The whole-team submission format encourages early discussions on data sharing and material selection. Consultants and contractors can align on monitoring protocols from the outset, which produces the solid evidence needed for the Low Carbon Citation. 

This approach reflects the life-cycle thinking the CIC promotes: decisions at design stage determine carbon performance through to operation and eventual deconstruction.

Ir Prof Ho believes successful local examples can extend influence on projects in the Greater Bay Area, where many Hong Kong developers hold substantial interests. 

The CIC continues to develop supporting instruments, including an expanded material passport platform, to track and value reusable components in future cycles. 

“What we want to see is real implementation,” he said, “that gives the construction sector data and examples to follow.”