Fire safety alert: buildings department on high alert following incident at new lucky house in jordan
âThe Buildings Department (BD) is highly concerned about the fire incident in New Lucky House in Jordan on April 10. The BD deployed its officers to the scene in the morning and, with the assistance of the officers of the Fire Services Department (FSD), entered the common areas and some private units of the building at around 2pm to conduct an inspection. The BD officers found that some structures were damaged by the fire, but there was no obvious danger to the overall structure of the building. The BD will fully co-operate with the FSD in its investigation. If the fire is found to be related to a breach of the Buildings Ordinance, the BD will, based on the investigation result, take enforcement action against the persons involved, including instigating criminal prosecution.
The subject building is 60 years old. The BD issued a statutory notice under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme to the owners' corporation (OC) in respect of the common parts of the building in 2018.The OC appointed a registered inspector (RI) in October 2019 and notified the BD again in April 2023 that it had appointed another RI. This RI submitted a prescribed inspection report to the BD in May 2023 and recommended that prescribed repair works would be required, including the replacement of fire doors, provision of protected lobbies for escape staircase and improvement works required under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 572). The building in question was under the previous action strategy one of the some 1 800 buildings for which RIs had been appointed, and the RI concerned had informed the BD of the real progress. The RI concerned is now preparing tender documents for the repair works and will discuss with the OC on the tendering for a contractor. The BD will continue to follow up with the OC and urge for their commencement of repair works as soon as possible. The BD will also consider taking enforcement action if necessary.
In addition, the BD issued a Fire Safety Direction to the OC in 2008, requiring the upgrading of certain fire safety provisions of the building to a level in line with the current fire safety standards, including the replacement of fire doors, provision of fire resisting enclosures to non-emergency services and provision of fixed lights meeting the required fire resistance and the like. The OC had appointed a consultant to follow up on the Direction in 2015 and 2020 respectively. The BD also followed up with the progress and issued an advisory letter urging for compliance but the Direction is still not complied with. Noting from the above-mentioned prescribed inspection report submitted by the RI concerned, that the repair proposal will also cover the improvement works required by the Direction, the BD will continue to follow up with the OC and its consultant with a view to closely monitoring the progress of the required fire safety improvement works.
Regarding the unauthorised building works (UBWs), the BD received a total of seven reports concerning subdivided flats in the building in the past three years. Five of the cases did not have actionable UBWs under the prevailing policy against UBWs, while actionable UBWs were found in the other two cases (1/F and 2/F premises not involved). The BD issued removal orders to the relevant owners on March 19, 2024, requiring them to reinstate the fire resisting door at the main entrance of the premises and the fire compartment wall of the premises respectively. If the removal orders are not complied with before the deadline, the BD will take appropriate follow-up actions, including considering initiating prosecution against the owners concerned.
The BD urged members of the public to take building maintenance matter seriously and comply with all statutory orders so as to ensure building safety.
Acting SFST's speech at Earth Forum 2025
Following is the speech by the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, at the Earth Forum 2025 today (April 22):
Plato (Chairperson of Friends of the Earth (HK), Mr Plato Yip), King (Executive Director of the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC), Dr King Au), Dr Leng (Board Member of the International Sustainability Standards Board of the IFRS Foundation, Dr Bing Leng), Dr Guo (Chairman of the China Sustainable Investment Forum (China SIF), Dr Guo Peiyuan), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. It is my great honour and pleasure to join you today at the Earth Forum 2025, a gathering of visionaries committed to shaping a sustainable future. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Friends of the Earth, FSDC and China SIF for organising this pivotal event and to all of you for your unwavering dedication to advancing green finance.
As Asia's leading international financial centre, Hong Kong has also become Asia's premier hub for green and sustainable finance. To align with the target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, Hong Kong has made significant commitments of its own. These targets are not merely aspirational; they are driving systemic reforms across various sectors, including energy, transportation, and finance.
In 2024, the total green and sustainable debts issued in Hong Kong exceeded US$84 billion, among which the volume of green and sustainable bonds arranged in Hong Kong amounted to around US$43 billion, ranking first in the Asian market for seven consecutive years since 2018 and capturing around 45 per cent of the regional total. This accomplishment solidifies our position as the region's premier platform for scaling climate-positive investments and also underscores our dedication to fostering a robust green finance ecosystem.
Hong Kong's status as a strategic nexus for green finance in Asia is central to advancing global sustainability objectives. As of the end of December last year, there are more than 220 ESG (environmental, social and governance) funds in Hong Kong authorised by our regulator, with assets under management (AUM) of around HK$1.2 trillion. This represents a remarkable increase of 136 per cent in the number of funds and a 15 per cent rise in AUM from just three years ago. These elements will solidify Hong Kong's role as the gateway to sustainable finance in Asia.
As an international financial centre, Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to mobilise the necessary capital for climate solutions while ensuring robust integrity within our financial markets. Hong Kong's multifaceted approach encompasses policy frameworks, market infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, and cross-border collaboration. Our Government Sustainable Bond Programme stands as a testament to this transformation. Having raised HK$220 billion since 2019, including the groundbreaking tokenised bond charge, we're not just starting green projects but creating new benchmarks for the market in different currencies and across different tenors. The recent expansion of the programme to include sustainable projects reflects our commitment to financing a broader range of climate solutions.
As we navigate the complexities of climate change and strive for a sustainable future, transparency and robust governance remain fundamental to our approach. In December 2024, we launched a roadmap on sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong. The roadmap sets out Hong Kong's approach to require publicly accountable entities (PAEs) to adopt the ISSB Standards (International Financial Reporting Standards - Sustainability Disclosure Standards). Assuming the role of the sustainability reporting standard setter in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) published in December 2024 following a public consultation the Hong Kong Sustainability Disclosure Standards (Hong Kong Standards) fully aligned with the ISSB Standards, with an effective date of August 1, 2025. All these ensure our regulatory framework remains aligned with international best practices while addressing the specific needs of the evolving markets.
Our regulatory framework is fundamental to creating a robust and dynamic sustainable finance ecosystem. By establishing clear guidelines and standards, we can ensure that all stakeholders are aligned in their efforts towards sustainability. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) published the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance in May 2024, aligns with the two mainstream taxonomies of the Mainland and the European Union (EU), and currently encompasses 12 economic activities under four sectors, namely power generation, transportation, construction, and water and waste management. It serves as a pivotal tool to raise awareness about green finance, promote common understanding of green activities, facilitate green finance flows, and provide a foundation for further applications. In its Phase 2 development, the Taxonomy will introduce transition activities and add new green activities to make it more usable and support the transition of the region.
We recognise that developing green finance talent is vital for sustaining our leadership position. Our Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity Building Support Scheme has successfully approved over 6 400 applications with a total amount of reimbursement of about HK$35.8 million. As mentioned in the 2025-2026 Budget, we will extend the scheme to 2028 to continuously support local green finance talent training.
Our progress reflects the Government's commitment to not only human capital development but also technological innovation. The Green and Sustainable Fintech Proof-of-Concept Funding Support Scheme, launched by the Government in June last year, aims to nurture an advanced green fintech ecosystem by providing vital support for innovative projects. The Scheme facilitates the commercialisation of the solutions and the completion of the proof-of-concept stage, enabling wider adoption of green and sustainable fintech solutions with potential in the business landscape of Hong Kong. A total of 39 applicants involving 60 projects were approved, with a grant of HK$150,000 for each project. These initiatives are building the expertise required to sustain Hong Kong's leadership in sustainable finance.
Ladies and gentlemen, the transition to a sustainable future is both our greatest challenge and our most exciting opportunity. Hong Kong stands ready to play its part - as a financial hub, as an innovator and, most importantly, as your partner in this vital work. Looking ahead, we will leverage Hong Kong's unique position as an international financial centre to connect capital with climate solutions. This strategic role positions Hong Kong to make significant contributions to global climate action through financial innovation.
I look forward to today's constructive dialogue and to our continued collaboration in translating these strategic initiatives into tangible outcomes that advance Hong Kong's sustainable finance leadership. Let us work together to build a sustainable future.
Thank you.
