Analysis of CO2 emission in the construction industry of Hong Kong

The amount of CO₂ emission in the world has grown alarmingly, leading to a series of global environmental problems such as global warming and ocean acidification. All of these environmental changes threaten the existence of mankind. Since the construction industry accounts for 50% of the total carbon emission, holding down the CO₂ emission of the industry would be an effective way to slow down environmental deterioration. The construction industry in Hong Kong is developing rapidly accompanying with problems of energy consumption and carbon emission. This paper aims to compare the CO₂ emissions in the phases of construction process, maintenance and demolition, and estimate the carbon emission rate of different construction materials. Moreover, this study introduces some measures that the Hong Kong Government has taken to reduce carbon emission and their impact. Besides, several suggestions on potential effective methods are also introduced to help attain the objective of carbon reduction.