BEC Member Activities
BEC Celebrates its 22th Anniversary
Celebrating its 22 years of success and progression, BEC presented its anniversary dinner on 14 September at Conrad Hong Kong Hotel. With the presence of over 340 members and guests, the occasion saw Chairman John Chai summarised the council’s effort in advocating corporate sustainability in the past year.
The night was also furnished with the musical performance by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra using environmentally friendly instruments. Instead of using the typical python skin or synthetic snake skin, the instruments, such as Erhu, Huqin and Zhonghu, were made of PET polyester membrane. In addition, as a token of appreciation, all guests were presented with a gift set with a passport holder made of recycled leather, adding icing to the successfully held night of enjoyment!
BEC Responds to G4
Thanks to the active engagement of members and endorsement of the Board, BEC submitted a response paper to the Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) regarding the updated sustainability reporting guideline, the G4 exposure draft.
The response paper states that while, in principle, our member companies support the efforts to help companies report on their environmental and social disclosure through the development of the G4, we have numerous comments relating to the new reporting framework’s usability and applicability. This includes the effectiveness of the guide, as well as the extent to which the G4 is (a) usable by companies of varying sizes, and (b) accessible by companies just commencing their reporting journey and with no previous experience of GRI.
You can now read our final response paper by clicking here. Thank you again for your valuable feedback and we look forward to your support in our next policy submission.
Member Visit to Lamma Winds
Twenty-four members joined the industry visit on 21 September to Hongkong Electric’s Lamma Power Plant and Lamma Winds. Mr T C Yee, General Manager (Corporate Development) of Hongkong Electric, kindly led the first part of the tour. He introduced the electricity generation process at Lamma Power Plant. Members then visited the photovoltaic panels in the power plant, before hiking uphill to have a closer look at Lamma Winds, the first commercially operate wind turbine in Hong Kong.
BEC Events
First Leadership Networking Series
An interesting talk on the value of a sustainable building kick-started BEC’s brand new monthly Leadership Networking Series on 27 September. Mr David Yau, Deputy General Manager – Project Management (I) of Henderson Land Development, used the case of Beijing’s World Financial Centre to illustrate the myth around the cost and value of creating a sustainable building. His keynote speech was followed by a case sharing by Mr Rex Wong, Executive Director of Kum Shing Group.
More than 30 members and friends joined the occasion enjoying several happy hours of mingling and networking after work at BEC auditorium. The evening was enhanced with drinks and canapés provided on site. The next session will be held on 25 October, with Mr Richard Lancaster, Managing Director of CLP Power, talking about the cost and benefit of energy efficiency. Register now!
BEC Upcoming Events
CCBF to Launch New Research: Carbon Smart Building Study
CCBF first tackled the challenge of building energy efficiency in 2010, with Every Building a Powerhouse. This study identified 29 technologies with the potential to substantially reduce energy use, and thus carbon emissions, in commercial buildings. Its soon-to-be released sequel, Carbon Smart Buildings, identifies the technologies with the greatest impact and reports on their trials in actual Hong Kong commercial buildings. The aims are to help landlords make informed, practical investment decisions to upgrade their buildings’ energy performance, and guide tenants in planning and negotiating green office space.
Structured Programme of BEC IEE
BEC Institute of Environmental Education (IEE) will launch some structured programmes in the fourth quarter of this year, aiming to help organisations enhance their competitiveness in terms of environmental sustainability by providing the necessary knowledge and training for their staff. Topics covered by these programmes will include corporate sustainability reporting, energy and carbon management and audit, BEAM Plus requirements for contractors, green office, waste management, and others. Please stay tuned for more details of our BEC IEE structured programmes. For enquiries, please contact Brenda Fung at 2784 3938 or brenda@bec.org.hk.
14 November: BEC EnviroSeries Conference – Mastering the Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities of Hong Kong
The 2nd BEC EnviroSeries Conference in 2012 is scheduled for 14 Nov at JW Marriott Hong Kong.
We will extend the discussion from May’s EnviroSeries Conference on urban planning and green built strategies to leading the way for Hong Kong’s overall sustainable development through managing the building, energy and transportation sectors, which have always been the driving forces behind our city’s continuous economic prosperity in a low carbon and integrated manner.
Please contact Skyla Chan (skyla@bec.org.hk) for more details on sponsorship opportunities and conference package.
BEC Upcoming Member Activities
19 October: Industry Visit - Tai O Heritage Hotel
Tai O Heritage Hotel, a colonial-style boutique heritage hotel, is the site of the former Tai O Police Station, which was built in 1902. The hotel is one of the revitalisation projects of the Development Bureau's Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme. The Hotel was designated a Grade II historic building by the Antiquities Advisory Board in 2010. The visit is limited to BEC members only. For registration and enquiry, please contact Jun Ng (jun@bec.org.hk)
Other Upcoming Industry Visits, please stay tuned for more details:
30 November 2012: Swire Coca-Cola Factory
21 January 2013: Energising Kowloon East Office (EKEO)
25 February 2013: ASB Biodiesel Production Plant
25 October: Leadership Networking Series: Is Investment in Energy Efficiency a Good Deal for SMEs?
Energy saving initiatives do not always require substantial investments with some enabling a short payback period of 1 to 2 years. Richard Lancaster, Managing Director of CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, will share successful cases from the GREEN programme where over 1000 SMEs and NGOs achieved an average energy cost reduction by 10% to 20% through implementing affordable and tailor-made energy saving measures in the past 2 years.
The keynote speech will be followed by case sharing from Ms Martha Hao, Head of Division, Electro-Mechanical Modules Division, Defond Group.
For registration or enquiry, please contact Skyla Chan (skyla@bec.org.hk).
7 November: CCBF Event: Carbon Smart Building Study Launch
Hong Kong’s buildings consume a massive 89% of the SAR’s electricity and make a sizeable contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Retrofitting is the answer but where to begin? CCBF’s Carbon Smart Building Study identifies technologies that deliver the greatest return in financial, energy and carbon terms, and fit with local needs. Landlords, tenants, technology solution providers and other experts will share their views and discuss the role of key stakeholders in greening Hong Kong’s buildings.
Learn about practical technologies which make the business case for building energy efficiency upgrades:
When: 7th Nov (Wednesday) 2.30pm – 6.00pm (Registration will begin at 2.00pm)
Venue: CIC Zero Carbon Building, 9 Sheung Yuet Rd, Kowloon Bay
Admission: Free (seating limited, please RSVP to guarantee your spot)
Registration: ccbfevent@bec.org.hk
For further information please contact Wing Kit Lau at wk@bec.org.hk or 2784-3925.
BEC Supporting Events
15 Sep – 28 Oct: Hong Kong Cleanup
Ecozine and National Geographic Channel (HK) invite you to join the Hong Kong Cleanup. It’s simple!
1. Sign up: Registration and information available at HKcleanup.org
2. Learn: Choose one of 7 FREE education sessions to attend
3. Go clean!: Do a cleanup with colleagues, friends or family and send results to Hkcleanup.org
22 Sep – 2 Mar: Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge 2012
15 – 19 Oct: Work-Life Balance Week 2012
25 Oct: Energy Efficient Buildings for Hong Kong Seminar
27 – 30 Oct: Eco Expo Asia 2012
13 – 15 Nov: InnoAsia 2012
29 Nov – 1 Dec: Social Enterprise Summit 2012
BEC Members Update
Please join BEC in welcoming the following members:
Corporate Member
Lutron GL Limited
General Member
Chou Pine Group Limited
LWK & Partners (HK) Limited
ESG Search Limited