A study on implementing green measures in shopping mall in Hong Kong

Abstract

The concepts of green building and sustainable development are not new to the property management industry for long. Yet, there is little correlation between the terms “environmental sustainability” and “shopping mall” in the general public’s mind. This mindset maybe built by the mega building structure, bright and air-conditioned indoor environment and ever-changing interior features and decorations of Hong Kong’s shopping malls.

Looking at Hong Kong, some shopping malls have already taken initiatives to act green for a long time. From placing recycle bins in the mall to installation of rainwater collection plant and food waste decomposers, shopping malls can contribute to environmental sustainability through adopting different green measures in their operation and management.

Since there is no past research or study focusing on the increasing trend on green shopping mall management, this research aims to examine how and why Hong Kong’s shopping malls implement green measures. It also evaluates on the role of shopping malls in Hong Kong’s environmental sustainable development, as well as to explore the future possibility of shopping malls towards better green management and better social responsibility on environmental sustainability.

The research is conducted in the form of case study of four shopping malls. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with shopping mall managers and surveys to shoppers and mall tenants accordingly. Through data analysis and discussions, it is concluded that there are both direct and indirect contributions by shopping malls’ green measures to Hong Kong’s environmental sustainability development.

However, it is found that in spite of numerous green measures implemented by some shopping malls, the management is hardly credited by stakeholders, especially the general public, for those green effort they did; also, stakeholders rarely identify the malls as green shopping malls. This may due to the lack of promotions and disclosure of information to stakeholders, as well as poor awareness and concern of stakeholders on the issue. In such, green achievement of shopping malls is only recognized within the industry itself but not all stakeholders and the general public. At the same time, the indirect impact of green measures (influence to other stakeholders) is not maximized. This is surely not a good phenomenon to both the industry and Hong Kong’s environmental sustainability development as this could hardly create a green culture in Hong Kong. To tackle this phenomenon, it is recommended shopping malls to involve top management’s commitment in green measures, to disclose more information on green effort and achievement to the public, and lastly, to get tenants to involve in green measures in the early stage of tenancy. Meanwhile, the shopping mall management industry should provide practical guide to assist mall managers in starting their green work, and to set up a tutor scheme within company in order to guide the late comers. Finally, the Government should consider having more collaboration and discussion with the industry in future green policy implementation so as to achieve mutual benefits and smoother implementation of green policies.