BEC EnviroSeries Conference - Driving Business Ambition into Action for a Net-Zero Hong Kong Session 3

Mr Hendrik Rosenthal
Director – Group Sustainability, CLP Holdings Limited 

Hendrik is responsible for the Group’s sustainability-related strategy, reporting and communications. He supports the senior management in sustainability and climate change-related risk management and advises on sustainability matters of the Group’s power business in the Asia-Pacific region.

With 20 years of experience in environmental management across the public, private and NGO sectors, Hendrik previously led research and consulting projects in Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore.

He began his career in natural resource management and environmental policy, through various positions at Canadian government agencies in environment and development. After moving to Hong Kong in 2008, Hendrik promoted sustainability practices via private sector projects and through policy engagement for industry associations. Prior to joining CLP, he was a senior manager of applied sustainability in Singapore working for a multinational company.

Mr Patrick Ho
Senior Manager, Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited

Patrick Ho, Swire Properties’ Senior Manager, Sustainable Development, is responsible for formulating and executing a corporate sustainability strategy for the Company’s global operations across Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and U.S.A. portfolios. Through engaging stakeholders, setting targets and developing action plans, he leads a team to manage the full spectrum of the Company’s environmental, social and economic impact and to integrate ESG considerations into every facet of Swire Properties’ business.

In his role, Patrick works with senior leaders to establish the 1.5°C Science-Based Targets (SBT) to align with the pathway of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. He also worked on developing the Green Finance Framework for Swire Properties’ first US$500 million green bond and HK$500 million sustainability-linked loan, responding to emerging areas of sustainability such as Climate-related Financial Disclosures aligned with TCFD, embodied carbon emissions analysis for new development projects, and a strategic assessment of the climate-related physical and transition risks and opportunities under various future climate scenarios.

Patrick also led Swire Properties maintains its top listings on several global and regional sustainability indices and ratings, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (ranked 7th globally, 1st in Asia in 2021), Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB, Global Sector Leader in Mixed Use Developments for 5th consecutive year), MSCI ESG Ratings (highest “AAA” for 4th consecutive year) and Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index (No. 1 in Hong Kong for 4th consecutive year).

Patrick is a Chartered Environmentalist, a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and a Certified Carbon Auditor Professional. He is a Member of the Corporate Advisory Board of World Green Building Council, a Member of Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Expert Advisory Group for Building Sector, and a Steering Committee Member of Climate Change Business Forum of the Business Environment Council.

Ms Clara Chan 
Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lee Kee Group

Clara Chan is the Chief Executive Officer of Lee Kee Group, a leading solutions provider for metals in China and ASEAN region. Clara is responsible for setting the Group’s strategic direction and formulating its long-term growth strategies. She also leads the Group to strive toward its sustainability and innovation excellence goals. Clara leverages her wealth of experience in commodity market and global trade, creating a portfolio of value-added products and services that help hundreds of brand owners to provide their products worldwide. She is a member of the Listing Committee of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, the Council Member of Hong Kong Productivity Council, and she also serves as an Executive Deputy Chairman and the Chairman of ESG Committee of Federation of Hong Kong Industries.

Ms Elin Wong
Head of Corporate Affairs, Modern Terminals Limited 

Elin Wong has been the Head of Corporate Affairs of Modern Terminals Limited since July 2016.  As the function head, she drives the corporate affairs and communications strategies and programme of Modern Terminals Limited in both Hong Kong and Mainland China, and oversees corporate branding, stakeholder engagement, corporate social responsibility (CSR), crisis and issue management, and media relations of the Company.  She is also a member of the Sustainability Steering Committee, the Environmental Committee, and Chairperson of the corporate volunteering team Modern Volunteer Force of the Company helping to drive its sustainability efforts.

A veteran of corporate affairs, Elin has over 25 years of experience in the field. Prior to joining Modern Terminals Limited, she has held various senior positions in listed and multi-national companies including Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair, Cafe de Coral Group, TVBI Company Ltd, and Orient Overseas (International) Ltd, the parent company of shipping line Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL).

Mr Fengyuan Wang
Global Climate Expert, H&M

Fengyuan drives H&M’s climate agenda in Global supply chains since joining the company in 2017. He currently manages the company’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and works closely with the newly established Green Investment team to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy across all production markets.

Fengyuan has extensive experience in supply chain sustainability. Prior to joining H&M, he led the corporate responsibility team at REWE Far East and worked with BSR as a sustainability consultant where he applied his sustainability expertise to a variety of organizations and issues ranging from low-carbon supply chains to water conservation and stewardship.

Fengyuan holds a master’s degree in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Environment.

Mr Merlin Lao
Head – Policy & Research, Business Environment Council

Mr Merlin Lao is Head of Policy & Research at BEC. He leads the team to develop clear policy positions on pressing climate and environmental topics in Hong Kong, through undertaking research on latest domestic and international trends, engaging with the Hong Kong SAR Government and connecting insights of the local business sector. He is keen on net-zero transition that not only looks at decarbonisation, but also a more equal and liveable built environment.

Mr Lao is a programme management professional with over 10 years of climate change and environment career experience across private, public and non-profit sectors in East Asia, with major exposure in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea. Prior to joining BEC, he was the senior programme manager at an international non-governmental organisation driving sustainable cities agenda in China, Japan, Mongolia and South Korea, covering topics such as air quality, low-emission development, urban resilience, circular economy and nature-based solutions.

Session 3: From Ambition to Action: Navigating Corporate Climate Journey

Moderator: Mr Merlin Lao, Head – Policy & Research, Business Environment Council

Keynote Presentation:

Mr Hendrik Rosenthal, Director – Group Sustainability, CLP Holdings Limited

Keynote Presentation:

Mr Patrick Ho, Senior Manager, Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited

Panel Discussion

• Mr Hendrik Rosenthal, Director – Group Sustainability, CLP Holdings Limited
• Mr Patrick Ho, Senior Manager, Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited
• Ms Clara Chan, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lee Kee Group
• Ms Elin Wong, Head of Corporate Affairs, Modern Terminals Limited
• Mr Fengyuan Wang, Global Climate Expert, H&M