- Fireside Chat #2 -
Nurturing Sustainable Business Practices: Best Practices, Challenges, and Climate Resilience in Today's Business Landscape
Key Takeaway
This fireside chat aims to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of the importance of integrating sustainability and ESG practices into various aspects of business operations. By exploring the concepts of ESG, SDGs, and sustainability, as well as their relevance to climate-related risk mitigation and business benefits, attendees will gain valuable insights into the strategies, challenges, and best practices for driving sustainable business practices. The panel will highlight real-life examples of successful sustainable and climate practices implemented by businesses, emphasizing the positive impact on the environment and the bottom line, while also discussing future expectations and challenges in the rapidly evolving business landscape.
Speakers
Mr. Simon Ng
Chief Executive Officer
Business Environment Council
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Mr Simon Ng is Chief Executive Officer of Business Environment Council. He works closely with BEC Board of Directors in setting and implementing organisation goals and strategies conducive to supporting BEC members and the wider business community in the transition towards net-zero economy and a sustainable Hong Kong. Mr Ng runs BEC’s daily operations, leads BEC’s policy contributions, and ensures BEC’s continuing relevance in bringing and creating value to its stakeholders and the community at large. He is also the Vice-Chair of BEC’s three Advisory Groups.
Mr Ng has over 25 years of experience in academic and policy research, project management and stakeholder engagement. In particular, Mr Ng is known for his ground-breaking work on ship emissions inventory and evidence-based control policy in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta, and his instrumental role in the Fair Winds Charter – a voluntary business initiative to reduce ship emissions. Before taking the CEO position, Mr Ng was BEC’s Director of Policy & Research for 3 years. Prior to joining BEC, he was Chief Research Officer of a Hong Kong based think tank, and held teaching and research positions in several local universities. Currently, Mr Ng is a Member of the Advisory Council on the Environment of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Internationally, Mr Ng is an Expert Member of the UNCRD Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport Forum in Asia since 2006.
Ms. Ophelia Lin
Managing Director, Meiriki Japan Company
Vice-Chairperson, Friends of the Earth (HK)
Ms. Ophelia Lin, Founder and Managing Director of Meiriki Japan, has over 25 years of executive and management experience. She is dedicated to integrating Sustainable Development Goals into the business model and fulfilling corporate social responsibility.
Ophelia's dedication to advancing her knowledge and expertise in this field is evident through her completion of a prestigious program organized by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Ophelia also serves as the founding president of the "SME Sustainability Society" and holding a position as Vice-Chairperson of "Friends of the Earth (HK)" in Hong Kong.
Mr. Mark Harper
Group Head of Sustainability
Swire
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Mr Mark Harper has worked for around 20 years in the field of corporate sustainability. As Group Head of Sustainability at Swire, Mr Harper is responsible for managing the Group Sustainable Development Office, and leading on the design, execution and performance monitoring of global corporate strategy for sustainability for the Swire Group, and on acting as the lead change agent in driving improved sustainability performance and best practices, with a view to further embed sustainability into overall business strategy for Swire.
Prior to taking up the Group Head of Sustainability role, Mr Harper had worked at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd. for over seven years, where he was responsible for managing the Group’s ESG disclosures as well as advising operating companies on their own ESG submissions. In addition to his work on ESG ratings, Mr Harper was also responsible for advising the Group on policy and strategy development, particularly in the areas of climate resilience, biodiversity and sustainable waste management. He also sits on the Board of Business Environment Council, the Executive Committee of the Drink Without Waste working group and is Vice Chair of the Environment and Energy Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Mr Harper has extensive experience of ESG disclosure standards such as GRI and the Hong Kong Exchange ESG Reporting Guide, as well as conducting sector focused benchmarking studies, corporate environmental management, as well as organising hands-on corporate citizenship and CSR training programmes.
Before joining John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd., Mr Harper worked in a number of senior management roles at high profile NGOs including the Earthwatch Institute, Fauna & Flora International, China Water Risk, and Business Environment Council, where he was responsible for managing the organisations advisory services on ESG reporting and corporate sustainability strategy development.
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