BEC EnviroSeries Conference - Formulating Business Roadmaps Towards Net Zero Session 3

Ms Sophie Punte
Managing Director, Policy, We Mean Business Coalition

Sophie Punte is Managing Director of Policy for the We Mean Business Coalition, bridging business climate action with supportive government policy worldwide. She has 25 years of experience in bringing industry, government and other stakeholders together to address common sustainability challenges, in both developed and developing countries. Sophie was Executive Director of non-profit organizations Smart Freight Centre and Clean Air Asia, led an energy efficiency program for industry at the United Nations, and advised corporate and government clients at audit firm KPMG and an engineering consultancy. She sits on various boards and councils, including the WEF Global Future Council on Urban Mobility Transitions. Sophie has a master's degree in biology and environmental management.

Ms Emma Harvey
Group Sustainability Manager, Gammon Construction Limited

Emma is Group Sustainability Manager for Gammon Construction Limited. She joined Gammon in 2015 and is responsible for advising on project-specific environmental issues as well as driving corporate sustainability across Gammon. Her current areas of focus are the implementation of Gammon’s Responsible Growth – 25 by 25 sustainability strategy and mapping the route to achieve Gammon’s science-based carbon reduction target.

Emma has 27 years' professional experience in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Ho Chi Minh City. Her background covers environmental consulting, multi-disciplinary project management, value and construction risk management facilitation, business development, sustainable urban planning, tourism planning and green buildings.

Emma is a member of the Business Environment Council’s Climate Change Business Forum, the Executive Committee of the HK Institute of Environmental Impact Assessment, and the HK Green Building Council’s Sustainable Development Committee. She also serves as a Vice Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce’s Environment and Energy Committee.

Mr M.K. Leung
Director of Sustainable Design, Ronald Lu & Partners

MK Leung is Director of Sustainable Design of Ronald Lu & Partners, and Principal Behaviourist of RLP’s insight partner, Behave. His team has delivered numerous high-profile projects, including CIC Zero Carbon Park, a vertical campus for THEi, Treehouse – the firm’s winning entry in the inaugural Advancing Net Zero Ideas Competition, and many consultancy studies on low-energy residential building design, infrastructure design and construction under extreme temperatures, sponge city design, and others.

MK was awarded the Laureate for the SIA-Uniseal G-Architect by the Singapore Institute of Architects in 2014. He has been recognised around the world for his specialised knowledge and integrated skills in sustainable, net-zero building design projects. He served as a Director of the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) from 2016 to 2021, as well as the Chairman of the HKGBC’s Sustainable Development Committee in 2020 and 2021. He has been an advisor to the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects since 2021, and a co-opted member of the HKGBC’s Sustainable Development Committee, second Vice Chairperson of the BEAM Society Limited’s Technical Review Committee, and a member of the Advisory Committee of the GREAT Smart Cities Institute at HKUST since 2022.

Mr Ka Keung Choi 
Director, Green Island Cement Company Limited

Mr Ka Keung Choi is a Director of Green Island Cement (GIC) Company Limited.  Mr Choi was appointed as Director of GIC in 2018, he is responsible for overall operations of the cement plant in Tap Shek Kok and the environment business unit in Hong Kong.

With his strong technical background, Mr Choi was one of key drivers to help the Works Bureau in migrating their cementitious material standards from obsolete British Standards to BS EN Standards through his participation as advisory member in the Standing-Committee on Cement and Concrete Technology (SCCT). GIC was the first local cement company which achieved product certification on its cement products. This helped the Hong Kong Government introduce product certification for cementitious materials in Hong Kong, hence improving the quality assurance standard of local construction industry.

In addition to his expertise in cement technology, Mr Choi is committed to the waste management of Hong Kong.

Mr Choi graduated from University of Hong Kong, is also a member of the Impartially Advisory Committee of SGS Hong Kong Limited, Chairman of Cement Subcommittee of Hong Kong Construction Material Association (HKCMA), and a Director of Hong Kong Cement Traders and Producers Association.

Mr Patrick Ho 
Deputy Head, Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited

Patrick Ho, Swire Properties’ Deputy Head, 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 5th consecutive year) and Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index (No. 1 in Hong Kong for 5th 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.

Mr Ivan Fu 
Chairperson, Committee on Environment, Construction Industry Council

Mr Ivan Fu is a Director of LWK + PARTNERS and CEO of its holding company, with 30 years of industry experience. He has been extensively involved in projects across Greater China and Asia Pacific, while leading the Group through its diversification from architectural design into urban planning, interiors, landscape, heritage conservation and digitalisation. The Group employs over 1,400 members of staff.

Ivan has been participating actively in various public platforms in Hong Kong and mainland China, including statutory bodies like Town Planning Board, Construction Industry Council, Urban Renewal Fund, Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme and China Green Building Council. Ivan is particularly interested in conservation and sustainability in social and environmental sense. He involved in various forward looking projects to address social needs and environmental issues. Projects like Blue House, Light Housing, homeless home are well received by the public with social impact. He is appointed a Justice of the Peace and is a Medal of Honour recipient in Hong Kong SAR.

Moderator

Ms Jenny Zhang
Director of ESG and Decarbonisation, Urban Land Institute APAC

As Urban Land Institute's (ULI) ESG and Decarbonization Director in APAC, Jenny coordinates ULI's efforts to decarbonize the built environment and lead the real estate industry in ESG priorities. She is the regional champion for ULI's Greenprint Center for Building Performance, a global alliance of 70+ leading real estate asset owners and investors with more than $1.4T combined AUM, all striving to achieve net zero.

Previously as a climate-tech entrepreneur, Jenny helped corporate clients in the energy, logistics, real estate, and manufacturing sectors to manage millions of tons of carbon emissions annually and built digital solutions to incentivize individuals and companies on their journey toward carbon neutrality.

Prior to her tech career, Jenny spent six years at Deloitte Financial Advisory, facilitating international merger-and-acquisition transactions totaling over US$12 billion.

Jenny is a certified public accountant and a trainer in social impact assessment and design thinking. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a dual degree in business and fine arts.

Post-COP 27 Keynote:

Ms Sophie Punte, Managing Director, Policy, We Mean Business Coalition

Roadmap Session 3: Construction and Properties - Life Cycle Perspective

Moderator: Ms Jenny Zhang, Director of ESG and Decarbonisation, Urban Land Institute APAC

Keynote Presentation:

Ms Emma Harvey, Group Sustainability Manager, Gammon Construction Limited

Keynote Presentation:

Mr M.K. Leung, Director of Sustainable Design, Ronald Lu & Partners

Panel Discussion

• Ms Emma Harvey, Group Sustainability Manager, Gammon Construction Limited
• Mr M.K. Leung, Director of Sustainable Design, Ronald Lu & Partners
• Mr Ka Keung Choi, Director, Green Island Cement Company Limited
• Mr Patrick Ho, Deputy Head, Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited
• Mr Ivan Fu, Chairperson, Committee on Environment, Construction Industry Council