Celebrating CIBSE's global community

As part of their visit to CIBSE Hong Kong, Adrian Catchpole, CIBSE President Elect and Ruth Carter, CIBSE CEO, were invited to attend the joint City for Future: Journey to Carbon Neutral Building Symposium, organised by CIBSE Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), and ASHRAE Hong Kong.

Adrian delivered the keynote speech, opening the symposium. He spoke of our collective and global responsibility to achieve net zero carbon, referencing the work that CIBSE is doing to support engineers in this transition with resources such as the embodied carbon calculation methodology, TM65.

Acknowledging innovative thinking in relation to the way buildings are designed, Adrian commented on the move towards modular construction techniques and the adoption of process management tools, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Adrian's speech focused on the need to lead with action and address the challenges presented by the global engineering skills shortage, praising the symposium's organisers for collaborating to share vital knowledge and skills.

Ending with a call to arms, Adrian emphasised the crucial role of engineers in delivering on climate targets. "It is our time to lead, working collaboratively to deliver a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future for all."

During their visit, Adrian and Ruth met with the CIBSE Hong Kong regional committee. This provided a valuable opportunity to discuss plans and objectives for 2023, specific to Hong Kong and CIBSE more generally.

Adrian and Ruth also met with the Hong Kong Government's Architectural Services Department (ADS), where they discussed approaches to addressing the global engineering skills shortage and the challenges this presents about the transition to net zero carbon. . Adrian and Ruth also used this opportunity to discuss professional registration as a globally recognised indicator of competence.

CIBSE has a long-standing relationship with the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE). This visit provided an opportunity to discuss the structures and aims of both organisations and how they can support each other more effectively going forward. Specifically, the discussion focussed on supporting and inspiring early career engineers.

Adrian and Ruth will return to the UK ahead of CIBSE Build2Perform next week (29 - 30 November 2023), but they look forward to building on the discussions and partnerships made during this valuable visit to Hong Kong.