BEC News
BEC New Board Formed
Upon the election held in BEC Annual General Meeting on 15 April, 20 members of the Board were elected. More detailed profiles of the new Board of Directors can be found in BEC website.
BEC IEE Upcoming Programme Highlights
BEC Institute for Environmental Education ("IEE") will organise various environmental training courses during May and June as follows:
Permaculture for Sustainability (10 May) – This 8-hour course introduces the basic concepts of permaculture to understand the opportunities and basic regulations of starting permaculture sites in urban environment, particularly in Hong Kong.
The Business Case of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Disclosure for HK Companies (9 May or 6 June) – This course explores the challenges that multinational companies face when conducting CSR and ESG for different regions.
BEAM Plus Familiarisation Training for Contractors (10 and 11 June) – This course offers a comprehensive training covering the key areas that contractors need to know for managing their BEAM Plus responsibilities.
Urban Tree Management (14, 21, and 28 June) - Arboriculture experts are invited to introduce tree work safety, risk assessment and management.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management & Improvement (20 June) – 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.
Please visit BEC website to view more details and schedules of IEE programmes. For registration and enquiry, please contact Dr Veronica Chan (T 2784 3937 | E beciee@bec.org.hk).
BEC Event
24 April 2014: BEC Leadership Networking Series
About 40 BEC members and guests gathered in this event to learn about green supply chain management.
Mr Toshiaki Takahashi, General Manager, Supply Chain Management / Asia Service Parts Center, Ricoh Asia Pacific Operation, shared his experience on how to minimise the environmental impact of Ricoh’s supply chain management process, and the latest office eco-friendly technologies to help businesses go green while maintaining operational efficiency.
Dr Peter Lee, Chief Technology Officer of Nano and Advanced Materials Institute Limited (“NAMI”), introduced the background of NAMI and its research development on environmental technologies covering air purification, water treatment, coating, and water recycling.
BEC Member Events
10 April 2014: Industry Visit to Hong Kong Science Park Phase 3
About 40 BEC members joined this visit, in which Mr Ben Lui, Project & Facilities Vice President from Hong Kong Science Park introduced the current development of the Science Park and Mr Kevin Edmunds, Senior Manager of Sustainability delivered a presentation on how Science Park Phase 3 would serve as a catalyst to cultivate green technology innovations. The presentation was followed by a tour of the Green 18 at Science Park Phase 2 and a newly completed building at Science Park Phase 3. Participants were impressed by the green and sustainable features such as operable vertical louver façade, wind turbine and rainwater recycling system.
12 April 2014: Industry Visit to Sha Tin Transfer Station
During the visit, SITA Waste Services Limited ("SITA"), the operator of Sha Tin Transfer Station, introduced the operation and management of the station. Its major function is to compress and consolidate the waste before it is transferred to landfills, and hence help reduce the transportation burden and minimise the pressure on landfills.
BEC Partnership Programmes
Winners Announcement of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, a citywide competition, in which BEC is an environmental advisor, has recently announced the winners for the creative green ideas for making Hong Kong a greener and smarter place to live. This competition had attracted more than 1,100 students from 250 schools across Hong Kong, who explored ideas on how to make use of technology to help solve environmental issues faced by the city.
The full list of winners can be viewed at the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow website.
HR Excellence Awards 2014 by HKIHRM
As the Associate Assessor and Supporting Organisation of the HR Excellence Awards 2014, BEC is inviting companies to join this Awards programme to showcase outstanding people management strategies and practices.
Organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM), the HR Excellence Awards 2014 aims to recognise organisations’ efforts in human resources management. The Awards programme is open to organisations of all sizes and types with operations in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China and Asia-Pacific Region. Interested organisations are welcome to submit the application before 9 May. For more details about the Awards programme, please click here.
2014 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence
As one of the organisers of the 2014 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (“HKAEE”), BEC is now inviting local companies and organisations to sign up for this prestigious environmental award scheme.
HKAEE aims to encourage businesses to adopt green management, and to present them with an opportunity to benchmark their commitments against best practices in environmental excellence.
To facilitate application, 5 information dissemination and experience sharing seminars with different topics will be organised during May. Experienced professionals and industry practitioners will be invited to share their expertise and insights on how various environmental measures can reduce costs without compromising operation efficiency. These seminars will also introduce the eligibility, assessment and application procedures of the 2014 HKAEE. For more details, please visit www.hkaee.org.hk or contact us (T 2784 3921 | E hkaee@bec.org.hk).
HSBC Living Business Awards 2014
Entering its tenth year, the HSBC Living Business Programme 2014 will soon be launched with the theme “Connect to Sustainability, Connect to Success”. With reference to the global trend of sustainability, the Programme will further encourage and help small and medium enterprises to gauge their successes and achieve business sustainability by commitment in environmental protection, community engagement and employees caring.
The Programme comprises the HSBC Living Business Award 2014 and 2 half-day capacity building events. BEC would like to invite companies with no more than 250 employees in Hong Kong to join and showcase their achievements in environmental sustainability.
For more details about the Programme, please contact us (T 2784 3948 | E livingbusiness@bec.org.hk).
EPD Glass Bottle Recycling Programme for Housing Estates
To promote glass bottle recycling in Hong Kong and to pave way for the implementation of Mandatory Producer Responsibility scheme, the Environmental Protection Department has commissioned BEC to organise and manage glass bottle recycling programmes in Sai Kung, Tuen Mun and North District from January 2014 to June 2015. Over 180 housing estates in these 3 districts have already participated in this Programme, and the glass bottle collection service has commenced since April.
All housing estates and residential buildings in these 3 districts with property management office are welcome to join this Programme. For more details about the Programme, please contact Mr Jonathan Li (T 2784 3921 | E em_admin@bec.org.hk).
The First Roving Exhibition under "Upcycling the Tai Po Community"
Funded by HKSAR Sustainable Development Fund and partnered with the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres, BEC is organising a community-outreach programme entitled “Upcycling the Tai Po Community Project” from December 2013 to May 2015. The Programme aims to train women in Tai Po District how to make upcycling products. In return, these trained participants will be the trainers of corporate employees in the production of upcycling items.
Besides organising the workshops, BEC will publish a handbook for the making of upcycling products, and organise 3 roving exhibitions to showcase the upcycling masterpieces made by trainers and designers. You are most welcome to visit the first roving exhibition which will be held at Landmark North in Sheung Shui from 18 to 20 July.
BEC members interested in organising upcycling workshop are welcome to contact Ms Sze Yuen (T 2784 3916 | E swyuen@bec.org.hk). For more details about the Programme, please visit the Facebook fan page.
BEC Upcoming Events
13 May 2014: BEC Policy Dialogue Series: Fuel Mix - Session IV Public Forum on Fuel Mix
BEC outlined a number of fuel mix recommendations in the Submission on the 2014 Policy Address. Following this, BEC held two workshops in March 2014 for members to deliberate topics specifically focused on nuclear power, the importation of electricity from Guangdong, plus renewable and conventional generation in Hong Kong. A third members-only workshop was held on 10 April to focus on the fuel mix consultation document with Mr. Donald Ng, Principal Assistant Secretary for the Environment (Energy).
Ms Christine Loh, JP, Under Secretary for the Environment, will meet BEC members, the business community, and the general public on 13 May to discuss the Future Fuel Mix for Electricity GenerationConsultation Document. This Public Forum provides a unique opportunity to directly discuss with Ms Loh on the proposed fuel mix options, and to express viewpoints and opinions. The results of the BEC CCBF 2013 Hong Kong Business Survey on Energy Efficiency and Climate Change will also be released at the same event.
If you are interested in joining this Public Forum, please fill in the registration form and return it to jill@bec.org.hk. For enquiry, please contact Mr Eric Chan (T 2784 3933 | E eric@bec.org.hk) or Ms Venneza Wong (T 2784 3928 | E venneza@bec.org.hk).
23 May 2014: BEC EnviroSeries Conference
Effective Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) management, encompassing the concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”), helps create shared value for both business and society, and helps build sustainable economies. Apart from ethical reasons, ESG management is also fundamental for companies to build resilience against corporate risks and create long-term shareholder value.
Better ESG management and disclosure among Hong Kong businesses may enable Hong Kong to attract more capital, enhance our competitiveness, and thus, escalate our status as an international finance centre. The business community needs to be part of the conversation in shaping the policies for future market practice.
In the upcoming EnviroSeries Conference, BEC will bring together market regulators, business leaders, private equity firms, financial institutions, and industry professionals to review current market practice, and to drive decision-making that is beneficial to investors, corporates and wider society.
Please visit here for event details. For sponsorship and registration, please contact Ms Jill Chow (T 2784 3942 | E jill@bec.org.hk).
29 May 2014: BEC Leadership Networking Series
This upcoming event invites Mr Philip Ng, General Manager of Facilities Management, HKT Limited to share his experiences at HKT, their work on implementation of sustainability, from the perspectives of technology and delivery of services. Mr Stephen Ho, Chairman, Communications Association of Hong Kong will also share the importance of implementing green measures in the communications industry and its effort in promoting green initiatives.
For registration and enquiry, please contact Ms Joey Hui (T 2784 3958 | E joey@bec.org.hk).
1 – 4 June 2014: Group Visit to Singapore
BEC is organising a Group Visit to Singapore from 1 to 4 June 2014, aiming to provide a better understanding on environmental management in Singapore.
The itinerary covers visits to various waste management facilities and major environmental exhibitions and conferences. Members will also have the opportunity to meet and share experiences with key players of the local waste management industry.
For more details about the visit, please contact Ms Bonnie Ho (T 2784 3951 | E bonnie@bec.org.hk).
BEC Members Corner
"BEC Members Corner" is dedicated to BEC members to introduce their recent achievements, success stories, innovative ideas or solutions on environmental sustainability. Members could provide us an English write-up with a maximum of 200 words, which BEC will reserve the rights of editing and publishing. The submission deadline for the upcoming E-newsletter is 23 May 2014 (Friday).
To submit an article or enquire about this section, please contact Ms Joey Hui ec.(joey@borg.hk).
BEC Members Update
Please join BEC in welcoming the following members:
Corporate Member
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
General Member
Proteus Environmental Communications (Hong Kong) Limited
Affiliate Member
CMA Industrial Development Foundation Limited
HBF Update
Please click on the link below to learn about the latest news and activities of BEC’s initiative Harbour Business Forum ("HBF").
BEC Supporting Events
| Mar – Aug 2014 | Hang Seng Pan PRD Environmental Awards 2013/14 |
| Mar – Nov 2014 | Green Building Award 2014 |
| 21 – 24 May 2014 | The Certified Energy Manager (CEM®) Program for Professional Certification |
| 23 May 2014 | 第五屆「香港企業公民計劃」啟動典禮暨研討會 (Chinese version only) |
| 26 - 28 May 2014 | Certified Carbon Auditor Professional (CAP) |
| 29 May 2014 | Technical Forum 2014 - Energy in Your Hands: Evolution Solutions for Buildings and Technology Development |
| 2 - 4 Jun 2014 | WasteMET Asia 2014 |
| 13 Sep 2014 | HKIS Annual Conference 2014 |
| 15 – 16 Oct 2014 | International Conference on Sustainable Energy Policies and Technologies |
| 29 Oct – 1 Nov 2014 | Eco Expo Asia 2014 |
| 2014 – 2015 | The "Let's Save 10L Water" Campaign |
| Environmental Education Creative Competition 2014 | |
| HSBC Water Programme for Industrial Water Management |