BEC Monthly Features
21 May 2015 - BEC EnviroSeries Conference "Embracing Natural Capital in a Densely Built Metropolis: Challenges and Solutions for Achieving Environmental Sustainability"
Natural capital, including clean air, clean water and other natural assets, are becoming increasingly more important to business leaders and policy makers in their planning and decision making process. In the upcoming BEC EnviroSeries Conference, BEC will bring together industry experts, sustainability professionals and Government officials to explore innovative solutions and share successful cases in preserving biodiversity, clean air, clean water and other forms of natural capital, while bringing benefits to businesses at the same time.
According to the Chief Executive’s 2015 Policy Address, the Hong Kong Government is formulating the first Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (“BSAP”) for the city with a view to stepping up conservation efforts and supporting the sustainable development of Hong Kong. What elements should be incorporated in the BSAP to enhance transparency and predictability of the development planning process, while avoiding duplication with the existing regulatory regime and potential increase in the cost of doing business?
Clean water, as an important natural asset, also requires careful long term planning and management. What are the possible measures and solutions that can facilitate our planning and better management of this natural asset?
You would be able to gather insights from experts in different industries about pragmatic solutions and innovative technologies for conserving Hong Kong’s natural capital. For more details and registration, please visit BEC website (http://bec.org.hk/events/enviroseries-conference-2015). Please also feel free to contact Ms. Phoebe Hung (T. 2784 3968 | E. phoebe@bec.org.hk) or Mr. Timothy Tam (T. 2784 3912 | E. timothy@bec.org.hk) if you would like to sponsor and support the Conference.
30 April 2015: BEC Policy Dialogue Series – Workshop on Future Development of Hong Kong’s Electricity Market
The Environment Bureau (“EnB”) of the Hong Kong SAR Government launched a three-month “Public Consultation on the Future Development of the Electricity Market” on 31 March 2015. In the consultation paper, the Government has set out its analysis of the market readiness for introducing competition in 2018, proposed some possible options to improve the regulatory arrangement of the electricity market, and laid out a plan to implement the proposed fuel mix in 2020 to meet the city’s demand for electricity and achieve environmental targets.
BEC will host a workshop on 30 April 2015 to give members a better understanding of the Government’s consultation document and collect views from members. Mr Donald Ng, Principal Assistant Secretary for the Environment (Electricity Reviews) of EnB, Mr. Prashant Bhaskar Vaze, Chief Planning and Trade Practices Officer of the Consumer Council, as well as representatives from the power companies will share their insights on electricity market review from the perspectives of the public sector, suppliers and consumers. Deliberations and views expressed by members at the workshop will be taken into account in preparing the BEC submission in response to the public consultation.
Please visit BEC website for more event details. If you are interested in joining the workshop, please fill in the registration form and return it to Ms. Jill Chow (T 2784 3942 | E jill@bec.org.hk). For other enquiries, please contact Ms. Venneza Wong (T 2784 3928 | E venneza@bec.org.hk).
BEC Upcoming Events
20 April 2015: The UK Experience in Regulating the Electricity Sector
BEC is pleased to have Mr. Alistair Buchanan, a former leading energy regulator in the UK, to share how the development of electricity market in the UK and prominent issues that the industry is facing. Key topics to be covered include the factors to be considered in designing appropriate regulatory regimes, key principles in planning for change in the electricity sector, as well as the challenges of balancing the expectations of different stakeholders.
Please contact Ms. Jill Chow (T. 2784 3942 | E. jill@bec.org.hk) to reserve your seat early. If you would like to have more information about the programme, please contact Ms. Venneza Wong (T 2784 3928 | E venneza@bec.org.hk).
30 April 2015: BEC Leadership Networking Series
Ms. Ellie Tang, Manager Corporate Sustainability, Asia Pacific of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited will talk about how HSBC supports freshwater projects through partnerships across the globe under the HSBC Water Programme (2012-2016). Professor Kin Chung Ho, Dean of School of Science & Technology of the Open University of Hong Kong, will introduce opportunities to become “Citizen Science Leaders” under the Programme and act on water issues in Hong Kong.
Contact Ms. Joey Hui (T. 2784 3958 | E. joey@bec.org.hk) to reserve seats for you and your colleagues!
24 – 28 May 2015: Group Visit to Japan
BEC is organising a group visit to Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan from 24 to 28 May 2015 to provide a better understanding on managing environmental issues such as waste management, green building, energy efficiency and water management from overseas experience.
Participants will visit various environmental facilities, meet with key players of the local environmental industry and participate in the annual environmental exhibition titled N-EXPO 2015 TOKYO.
For more details about the visit, please contact Ms. Bonnie Ho (T. 2784 3951 | E. bonnie@bec.org.hk).
BEC Events
26 March 2015: BEC Leadership Networking Series
In March’s event, Mr. John Li, Technical Sales Engineer, LVFAR Kin Fung Green Reusable Industry Ltd., shared the current situation on construction and demolition (“C&D”) waste in Hong Kong, benefits of changing C&D waste into recycled construction materials and the applications of these materials.
Mr. Daniel Suen, Deputy Director of Campus Development, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, talked about the benefits of a proposed Green Deck over the Cross Harbour Tunnel Plaza which aims to address the issues of poor air quality, poor connectivity within the district and lack of open space. Participants also learnt about the three proposed development options from visiting the exhibition titled “Green Deck as an Innovative Social Project” in BEC Headquarters.
30 March 2015: Supply Chain Sustainability and the CDP Supply Chain Programme
In this 2-hour programme, Mr. Dexter Galvin, Global Head of Supply Chain of CDP, introduced the supply chain risks encountered by businesses, the importance of having sustainable supply chains and the ways to implement them. Mr. Ronnie Tham, Director of Global Sourcing, Walmart was also invited to share his experience in responsible supply chain management including responsible sourcing.
1 April 2015: BEC Eco-tour to Agarwood Plantation and Kam On Garden
With the aim of raising awareness on nature conservation, BEC organised an eco-tour to Agarwood Plantation in Sha Tau Kok and Fanling, as well as Kam On Garden in Tai Po. Participants learned about sustainable farming methods used to grow agarwood and measures used to conserve a variety of international and indigenous plants.
BEC News
BEC Participated in Caring Company Partnership Expo 2015
On 25 March 2015, BEC participated in Caring Company Partnership Expo 2015, an annual event for various sectors and industries to explore new community partnership opportunities and Corporate Social Responsibility solutions. During the Expo, BEC’s representatives met with visitors and other exhibitors from different sectors to share the events and activities of BEC as well as training courses offered by BEC Institute of Environmental Education.
BEC IEE Training Courses
BEC Institute for Environmental Education ("BEC IEE") will organise various environmental training courses in May and June 2015 as follows:
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management & Improvement (4th Intake) (27 May 2015) – Throughout this course, participants will have an overview of IAQ. They will also learn different chemical and biological components that affect IAQ and the ways to manage and improve IAQ.
Best Practices for Energy Management (29 May 2015) – Hong Kong currently has over 40,000 existing buildings that account for 92% of total electricity demand in the territory. Good practices in energy management are necessary for reducing electricity consumption and saving costs. This 3-hour course provides an overview on current practices for achieving effective energy management.
BEAM Plus Familiarisation Training for Contractors (5th Intake) (5 June 2015) – This course offers a comprehensive training covering the key areas that contractors need to know in order to effective manage their BEAM Plus responsibilities.
BEAM Plus Familiarisation Training for Site Supervisors (12 June 2015) – BEAM Plus for New Buildings, an environmental assessment scheme for buildings, requires site supervisors to oversee the implementation of a series of good site practices. This course offers comprehensive training that enables site supervisors to know how to manage BEAM Plus responsibilities in order to fulfill pre-requisite requirements and attain credits for site management, supervision, testing and commissioning.
Visit BEC website now for outlines and schedules of BEC IEE programmes. Please contact Dr. Veronica Chan (T. 2784 3937 | E. beciee@bec.org.hk) for registration and enquiry.
Information for BEC Members
Green Technology Corner – Showcase at BEC Headquarters
The Green Technology Corner at BEC Headquarters offers opportunities for members to showcase their green technologies and products to business leaders and sustainability professionals. Please contact Ms. Kitty Wong (T. 2787 3924 | E. kitty@bec.org.hk) to secure the showcasing opportunity.
BEC Members Corner
Shell FuelSave Challenge 2014 Promotes Fuel Efficiency
Shell has always been committed to meeting the world’s growing energy needs in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible way.
In 2014, Shell commissioned Shell FuelSave Challenge (“The Challenge”) for its business partners and Shell Card holders, with the aim of promoting higher fuel efficiency and better driving habits among commercial fleet drivers, and had received overwhelming response from 9 participating companies and 67 drivers. The result of The Challenge was very encouraging, with the most fuel efficient driver achieving 26% of fuel saving as compared to pre-challenge period. For more details, please visit http://www.shell.com.hk.
Clean the World Collects Used Soap for People in Need
More than 2 million bars of used hotel soap and millions of amenity bottles are discarded by the hospitality industry around the globe every day. Clean the World collects the partially used soap and recycles them into new bars. All recycled bars of soap are donated to people in need around the world.
Since May 2014, a recycling operation centre of Clean the World Asia (“CTW Asia”), an offshoot of the Clean the World, started processing used soap collected from 21 hotels in Hong Kong. Last year, CTW Asia diverted 44 tons of used soap and plastic bottles from landfills. Over 150,000 bars of recycled bars have been donated to charities in Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines and Malaysia.
"BEC Members Corner" is dedicated to BEC members for the purpose of introducing their recent achievements, success stories, innovative ideas or solutions on environmental sustainability. Members are invited to provide us with an English write-up with about 100 words, which BEC will reserve the rights of editing and publishing. The submission deadline for the next E-newsletter is 29 April 2015 (Wednesday).
Please contact Ms. Joey Hui (T. 2784 3958 | E. joey@bec.org.hk) if you are interested in contributing an article.
BEC Members Update
Please join us in welcoming the following new member:
General Member
Biomax Hong Kong Limited
BEC Supporting Events
| Date | Event | Organiser |
| 17 April 2015 | HKIE Environmental Division Annual Forum "The Future Directions and Breakthroughs of Hong Kong's Environmental Industry" http://bec.org.hk/events-current/the-hkie-environmental-division-annual-forum-the-future-directions-and-breakthroughs-of-hong-kongs-environmental-industry |
HKIE Environmental Division |
| 7 May 2015 | IFMA Integrate 2015 Facility Management Conference http://bec.org.hk/events-current/ifma-integrate-2015-facility-management-conference |
The Hong Kong Chapter of the International Facility Management Association |
| 7 May 2015 | 3rd BEAM Affiliate Training http://bec.org.hk/events-current/the-3rd-beam-affiliate-training |
BEAM Society Limited |
| 8 May 2015 | CIWEM HK Conference 2015 http://bec.org.hk/events-current/ciwem-hk-conference-2015 |
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management Hong Kong |
| 12 May 2015 | Technical Seminar on IAQ Procedure in ASHRAE 62.1 and its Application http://bec.org.hk/events-current/technical-seminar-on-iaq-procedure-in-ashrae-621-and-its-application |
ASHRAE Hong Kong Chapter |
| 11 - 14 June 2015 | Youth to Sustainability Summit 2015 http://bec.org.hk/events-current/youth-to-sustainability-summit-2015 |
AIESEC |
| 2014 – 2015 | 5th Hong Kong Corporate Citizenship Program http://bec.org.hk/events-current/the-5th-hong-kong-corporate-citizenship-program |
Hong Kong Productivity Council |
| 2014 – 2015 | The "Let's Save 10L Water" Campaign http://www.waterconservation.hk/en/main.html |
Water Supplies Department, Hong Kong SAR Government |
| 2014 – 2015 | HSBC Water Programme for Industrial Water Management http://bec.org.hk/events-current/hsbc-water-programme-for-industrial-water-management |
Hong Kong Productivity Council |
| 2014 – 2015 | HKSTP Soft-landing Programme for Technology http://bec.org.hk/events-current/hkstp-soft-landing-programme-for-technology-and-innovation-collaboration |
Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation |