(12 September 2008, Hong Kong and Shenzhen) Business Environment Council (BEC) and China Environmental Culture Promotion Association (CECPA) today jointly staged the 14th Green China Forum focusing on Environmental Economy Policy and Sustainable Development of Pearl River Delta (PRD), at Shenzhen Kylin Villa, with the co-organizing support from InterCham Hong Kong. Over 200 senior business, academic and government leaders from national, provincial and municipal levels from both mainland China and Hong Kong attended the Forum.
25 distinguished leaders spoke in the Forum including The Hon Mr Pan Yue, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and President of China Environmental Culture Promotion Association, Mr Lin Mu-Sheng, Guangdong Provincial Vice Governor, The Hon Mr Edward Yau, JP, Secretary, Environment Bureau of the HKSAR Government, Mr Lu Rui-Feng, Vice Governor, Shenzhen Government, Mr Fan Gang, Director, China Economy Reform Research Foundation National Economy Research Institute and Mr Li Dong-Sheng, Chairman, TCL Group.
"We co-stage this platform to facilitate dialogue and build consensus in a positive setting to achieve what public and private sectors cannot achieve separately." said Dr Andrew Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of BEC, Mr Wang Pan-Pu, Secretary of CECPA and Mr Jens-Erik Olsen of InterCham Hong Kong in a joint message. “Our purpose is to harness the powerful insights and forces of visionary leadership, smart business, green public policies and reforms to steer China’s fuelling economy towards a more sustainable path.”
Swire Pacific, the Presenting Corporate Partner of the Forum, has given high priority over many years to environmental and sustainable development issues. Mr Christopher Pratt, Chairman of Swire Pacific said, "Competition limits the amount any company can do independently. It is therefore essential that we come together in forums like this to identify the barriers to, and enablers for moving to a more sustainable world and to seek government action in providing the regulatory framework to facilitate real change."
Building up a green supply chain is key to greener production in China. "Taking care of your own operation is important, but it is also essential to focus on supplier development, improve energy efficiency of suppliers, develop common industry standards with other retailers and brands, reduce packaging waste with packaging fairs and scorecard, as well as incorporating environmental performance into buying decision", highlighted Mr Jens-Martin Fertsch, Senior Director, Environmental Sustainability, Wal-Mart China.
In the concluding remarks, Dr Andrew Thomson said, "There is no conflict between committing to environmental protection and sustainable development. It is critical for the manufacturing base in the PRD to transform itself into a green leader. This will come with a long term commitment to sustainable development, which must transcend the day to day short term pressure to create shareholder wealth. Economic development must be linked to environment in a way that ensures the health of both the bottom line and our regional environment. I believe that when leaders commit and manufacturers act, together with affordable innovations and efficiency from large-scale production, making Green China a reality will be in a future not too far away."
Notes to Editor
This 14th Green China Forum is part of BEC's flagship EnviroSeries conferences with origin since 1992. The EnviroSeries Conferences, hosted by BEC in collaboration with various leading organizations, has provided a cross-sector platform for senior government officials, top business leaders and industry experts to share and contribute input to policies and strategies that influence the agenda for sustainability and competitiveness. Into its sixteenth year, EnviroSeries has become a central stage for the broadest range of stakeholders to facilitate dialogue and build consensus. Our conferences feature more than 800 distinguished speakers from both local and overseas, and register more than 6,000 leaders, movers and shakers across all sectors, who share the common vision of moving China and the region towards sustainable development.
About Business Environment Council (www.bec.org.hk)
Since 1989, Business Environment Council (BEC) has been in the forefront of Hong Kong's sustainable development, striving to build capacity and facilitate action by partnerships with business, government and community groups. The Business Environment Council (BEC) is the longest running independent, private-sector non-profit organization in Hong Kong promoting corporate social and environmental responsibility. Set up by business for business in 1989, BEC offers sustainable business solutions covering baseline assessment, advisory, research, training and award programs for companies across all sectors and at any stage of their corporate sustainability journey. Headquartered in our own building in Hong Kong, we have additional offices in Beijing and Shenzhen.
About the China Environmental Culture Promotion Association (www.tt65.net)
China Environmental Culture Promotion Association (CECPA) was established under Ministry of Environmental Protection in 1992. It is a national non-profit environmental culture association that works across regions and departments, with the identity as an association legal person. The association is composed of voluntarily joined experts or scholars from various sectors, literary authors, artists, journalists, education workers, entrepreneurs and renowned figures from the community.
About the InterCham
InterCham, an affiliation of all 28 international chambers of commerce, was established in Hong Kong in 1990. The international business community, through InterCham is actively engaged in raising funds for its InterCham Education and Scholarship Fund on behalf of all member organizations. InterCham has established the InterCham Pearl River Delta Committee in 2002 as a working group within the framework of InterCham to develop PRD projects and events. The Committee encourages and co-ordinates inter-chamber co-operation on PRD projects and events, provides an effective channel of communications and establish working relationships with the PRD provincial and municipal governments. It also provides contacts and facilitates business opportunities to member companies venturing into the PRD market, co-operates with other organizations or institutions with common goals and objectives with regard to the PRD on a mutually beneficial basis.