Business Environment Council Limited (“BEC”) held its flagship event BEC EnviroSeries Conference with the theme “Accelerating Net-zero Action through Carbon Pricing, Digitalisation and Closing the Resource Loop” at Cordis Hotel, Hong Kong on 25 May. The Conference was held in hybrid mode, attracting over 1,000 in-person and online participants including government representatives, business leaders, entrepreneurs, industry experts, academics and other interested participants from Hong Kong and abroad.
Making his opening address, Mr Kevin O’Brien, Chairman of BEC, remarked, “The world is facing a climate crisis, and Hong Kong is no exception. The effects of climate change are evident in our city. It is imperative that we take immediate action now to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable future for the benefit of not only ourselves but also our future generations.
“As a leading organisation in promoting environmental excellence, BEC is committed to providing our members and the wider community with a platform that brings together experts from diverse fields to share their experiences and best practices for formulating business strategies to accelerate net-zero action towards the carbon neutrality goal,” added Mr O’Brien.
Keynote speaker Mr C.F. Wong, Commissioner for Climate Change, Environment and Ecology Bureau, said, “To achieve Hong Kong’s 2050 carbon neutrality target, the collective resolve of all members of society is required. The newly established Office of Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality is committed to coordinating the Government’s strategies, policies, and action plans for mitigating climate change. I hope the business sector would take more proactive actions and join hands with the Government to co-create a net-zero Hong Kong.”
The Conference were divided into four inspiring sessions, namely, “Carbon Market and Internal Carbon Pricing”, “Building Energy Efficiency through Digitalisation”, “Circular Ecosystem and Opportunities of Electric Vehicle Batteries”, and “Business Preparation towards Regulation of Single-use Plastics”. The programme brought audience to the latest development of several decarbonisation areas with specific relevance to Hong Kong.
Mr Simon Ng, Chief Executive Officer of BEC, extended his gratitude to all the guests, “I would like to thank our speakers, panellists, moderators, sponsors and supporting organisations for their significant contributions, not just to this Conference, but to the net-zero journey. Looking forward, BEC will continue to partner with our members and the business sector in turning ambition into climate action.”
Among the speakers, panellists and moderators at the Conference were (in order of appearance):
- Mr Kevin O’Brien, Chairman, Business Environment Council
- Mr C.F. Wong, Commissioner for Climate Change, Environment and Ecology Bureau, HKSAR
- Prof Grace Hui, Adjunct Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST
- Mr Jinbai Zhang, Executive Vice President, Towngas Smart Energy Company Limited
- Ms Lydia Sheldrake, Director of Policy and Partnerships, Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative
- Mr Mark Harper, Group Head of Sustainability, John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited
- Mr Hendrik Rosenthal, Director, International Emissions Trading Association / Director – Group Sustainability, CLP Holdings Limited
- Mr Raymond Fong, Director, Asia Carbon Institute Limited
- Ms Lucita Ng, Commodities and Carbon Market Specialist, North Asia, Bloomberg L.P.
- Dr Raymond Yau, Chair, BEC Sustainable Living Environment Advisory Group and General Manager, Technical Services & Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited
- Mr Travis Kan, Director, Digital Energy & Power Products, Schneider Electric (Hong Kong) Limited
- Mr K.O. Wong, Deputy Director – Business Sales, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited
- Mr Don Tse, Assistant General Manager, Technical Services, Hongkong Land Limited
- Ir Wallace Leung, Chief Building Services Engineer, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, HKSAR
- Ms Carmen Tsang, Head of Greater China Sustainable Investment Banking, Crédit Agricole CIB
- Mr Bruno Luk, Deputy Director of Environmental Protection, Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR
- Mr Merlin Lao, Head – Policy & Research, Business Environment Council
- Mr Walter Van Hattum, Head of Trade and Economic Section, EU Office to Hong Kong and Macao
- Mr Anthony Yan, Senior Staff Scientist, China Everbright Green Technology Innovation Research Institute
- Mr David Lai, Principal Environmental Protection Officer, Waste Management and Strategy Group, Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR
- Ir Prof Daniel Cheng, Managing Director, Dunwell Technology (Holdings) Limited
- Mr Raymond Cheung, Chief Executive Officer, JC Motor Limited / BYD HK Exclusive Distributor
- Ms Ada Yip, Chief Empowerment Officer, Urban Spring
- Mr Kenneth Cheng, Assistant Director of Environmental Protection, Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR
- Mr Patrick Ho, Deputy Head, Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited
- Mr George Chen, Co-founder and CEO, Ecoinno HK Limited
- Ms Sabrina Lerskiatiphanich, CSR & Sustainability Executive, Foodpanda Hong Kong
- Mr Simon Ng, Chief Executive Officer, Business Environment Council
EnviroSeries Conference is BEC’s flagship event that aims to provide a cross-sector forum for stakeholders to discuss and address key issues related to Hong Kong’s environmental sustainability, and serves as a BEC’s key initiative for thought leadership development on important topical issues.
Mr Kevin O’Brien, BEC Chairman, welcomes all speakers and guests to BEC EnviroSeries Conference with his opening remarks
Mr C.F. Wong, Commissioner for Climate Change, Environment and Ecology Bureau, delivers his keynote speech at BEC EnviroSeries Conference
Over 1,000 business leaders and industry experts attend BEC EnviroSeries Conference to exchange insights and ideas