Hong Kong is known as a "food paradise," but the catering industry also faces challenges such as food waste, water consumption, energy consumption, and hygiene management. In July 2026, Hong Kong officially launched... Beam Plus F&B(Green building environmental assessment of catering establishments)—The first green building assessment tool specifically designed for restaurant operations. Whether it's an independent restaurant, coffee shop, restaurant, fast food outlet, or even a canteen or ghost kitchen, this tool can help you assess your business.Green food certificationStandards, systematically measuring and improving sustainability performance.
Want to know Beam Plus F&B ApplyHow are the processes and scores calculated, and what fee discounts are available in the first year? This article summarizes the scoring framework, seven performance categories, and key points regarding T9 topic certification and promotion fees.
Why does the restaurant industry need Beam Plus F&B??
Traditional green building assessments often focus on the entire building or office space, making it difficult to address everyday details such as high-intensity kitchen operations, daily cleaning and disinfection, dishwashing water usage, and employee training. Beam Plus F&B is designed to address these real-world scenarios, covering seven key areas: management, materials and waste, energy, water usage, health and comfort, and offering two participation methods:
- Full certification:Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze ratings are available.
- Theme certification (e.g., "Sustainable Food Service Operations T9"):It has a low barrier to entry and is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises that want to start from the operational level.
The evaluation and order submission process is relatively streamlined, making it particularly suitable for independent restaurants and chain stores with limited resources.
Actual benefits to operators
Earning Beam Plus F&B certification is more than just a "green label." Many of these measures—improving dishwashing processes, equipment efficiency, cleaning standards, and employee training—can reduce water, electricity, and consumable costs. At the same time, the certification helps enhance customer trust, respond to mall or landlord requirements for sustainability performance, and align with Hong Kong's 2050 carbon neutrality target.
Routine hygiene practices—such as regular cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene stations, pest control, and employee training—are all included in the scoring. Systematizing and documenting existing practices can often be converted into points, lowering the barrier to entry for Beam Plus F&B applications.
Beam Plus F&B Scoring framework and certification levels
Beam Plus F&B's order processing assessment has a baseline score of approximately 100 points, with an additional 10 points for Innovation (IA). The complete certification has four levels:
| Certification Level | Minimum total score | Additional requirements |
| Platinum grade | ≥ 75 points | MAN, MW, EU, WU, HWB: at least 4 points each |
| Gold | ≥ 65 points | Same as above |
| Silver | ≥ 55 points | Same as above |
| Bronze | ≥ 40 points | Same as above |
If you want a lower threshold, you can first choose the theme certification "Sustainable Food and Beverage Operations (T9)": Green requires about 15 points and Green+ requires about 30 points. This is suitable for SMEs to accumulate experience first and then consider full certification.
Sustainable restaurant operations (T9) basic threshold: at least 1 point must be achieved in each of the four main performance categories.
Overview of the seven performance categories
Beam Plus F&B's ratings cover core aspects of restaurant operations:
- Integrated Design and Construction Management (IDCM). — Emission reduction during renovations, waste recycling, etc.
- Management (MAN). — Environmental policy, employee training, occupational health and safety, customer participation
- Materials and Waste (MW). — Reduce plastic use, recyclable packaging, and waste reduction at the source
- Energy use (EU). — High-efficiency kitchen equipment and energy-saving measures
- Water (WU). — Water-saving dishwashing equipment and operation
- Health and Comfort (HWB). — Food hygiene, air quality, health protection
- Innovation and Bonus Points (IA). — Innovative practices with significant environmental benefits
Among these, **Health and Wellbeing (HWB)** and **Management (MAN)** are most directly related to daily hygiene, cleaning, and training. Practices such as regular cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene stations, pest control, and employee training, as long as they have SOPs and records, can be converted into points.
Beam Plus F&B Cost: 2026–2027 First-year promotional discounts
To encourage early participation from the industry, Beam Plus F&B is offering a first-year promotional fee (July 17, 2026 to July 16, 2027), significantly reducing the application cost of Beam Plus F&B:
| project | Standard Fee | Promotion Fees |
| Full certification registration fee | HK$6,500 | HK$800 |
| Full certification assessment fee | HK$26,000 | HK$3,000 |
| Theme Authentication T9 Registration Fee | HK$2,500 | HK$300 |
| Theme Certification T9 Assessment Fee | HK$10,000 | HK$1,200 |
The certificate is valid for 4 years.
With significantly reduced fees during the promotional period, it's a great time for SMEs to get started. Actual fees are subject to the latest announcements from the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC).
Having started to understand, what's the next step?
Green certification is no longer just for large-scale development projects. For Hong Kong's catering industry, Beam Plus F&B provides a more practical starting point for daily operations—starting with cleaning, dishwashing, and training, gradually turning sustainability into a proven competitive advantage.
To quickly understand the Beam Plus F&B application process, easy-to-scoring items, and how to use your existing hygiene and kitchen management points, please download our compiled guide. BEAM PLUS F&B Application Practical GuideIt includes a breakdown of steps, a scoring comparison, and a practical checklist.