The "2024 GRESB Regional Insights: Hong Kong" event will take place on Nov 8, 2024 in Hong Kong, coinciding with the release of the GRESB 2024 assessment results! Co-hosted by AEC Group, this event will feature prominent leaders and industry experts discussing the assessment outcomes and exploring a sustainable future.

Allied Sustainability and Environmental Consultants Group Limited held a grand 30th anniversary celebration cocktail party on September 9th with the theme “Our Green Vision to Global Mission.” The event brought together numerous business elites, industry leaders and partners to review the glorious achievements of the past thirty years and look forward to an even brighter future.

The ESGCP is based on publicly available information from the HKEX and covers authoritative standards such as Climate Standards from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and Science Based Targets Initiatives. It aims to assess the proficiency and knowledge level of ESG practitioners in applying HKEX’s rules and regulations, and to help Hong Kong-listed companies to establish standards and improve the quality of their ESG professionals.

LAST call for enterprises to apply for the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE) 2023! Organized by the Environmental Campaign Committee and Environmental Protection Department, the Award aims to recognize the organizations with excellent performance in environmental management, any companies or organizations that have practiced green initiatives in daily operations are eligible to apply.   AEC Group fully supports the HKAEE and encourages companies or organizations to participate together!

Co-organized by Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) and Allied Sustainability and Environmental Consultants Group Limited (AEC), and co-hosted by 大灣區碳中和協會 GBA Carbon Neutrality Association (GBACNA), the highly anticipated 2023 GRESB Regional Insights: Hong Kong event will focus on real estate sustainability in partnership with AEC on November 23, as we gather to delve into key industry topics and trends. This event offers an exclusive opportunity to connect and engage with industry experts which will be followed by a networking reception so SIGN UP for your spot now – first come first serve!

Allied Environmental Consultants Limited (AEC) has partnered with Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) to accelerate the net zero transition of real estate sector in the Asia Pacific region. As the GRESB Asia-Pacific training partner and the 1st Partner of CRREM in Hong Kong and China, AEC strives to support companies of all sizes in their decarbonization journey using the updated CRREM-SBTi aligned pathway. AEC is collaborating with CRREM to host a webinar themed “Decarbonization of the Built Environment with CRREM” on 2 Mar 2023 (THU), where a global line-up of industry experts will have an in-depth discussion on the topic. Don’t miss out on this webinar! Register now!

AEC Group has stepped up our efforts to manage the net zero transition for our clients in real estate sector this year. By partnering up with Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor Project (CRREM), AEC endeavors to accelerate the real estate decarbonization journey in the Asia Pacific. Ms. Grace KWOK, the Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group, expresses her forward-looking points of view about this partnership: "AEC is honored to be the first sustainability and environmental consulting firm to collaborate with Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) and provide CRREM-aligned transition risk assessment to analyse the stranding risk for real estate portfolios in Hong Kong and Mainland China. With the updated CRREM-SBTi aligned decarbonisation pathways for Residential and Commercial Real Estate, we help our clients to better navigate the net zero transition, with practicable decarbonization strategies and with due consideration of time and cost, to ensure the transition is on track with the required carbon reduction progress to achieve the 1.5 degree pathway.”

LAST call for enterprises to apply for the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE) 2022! Organized by Environmental Campaign Committee and Environmental Protection Department, the Award aims to recognize the organizations with excellence performance on environmental management, any companies or organizations which have practiced green initiatives in daily operation are eligible to apply.   AEC group fully supports the HKAEE and encourages companies or organizations to participate together!

AEC Group was honoured to be the supporting organization of the the “RECUERDOS of the City, the Land & the Harbour” exhibition held from 18 to 27 Dec 2022. Our audio-visual, lighting and acoustics consultant team provided specialist soundscape and lighting design for the exhibition. Enacting collectively with three esteemed local architects, Vincent Ng, William Tseng, and Jeff Tung, AEC devised a design to recreate city life and promote a sustainable Hong Kong. In this project, AEC’s professional team tailored various soundscapes and lighting programs to create a hearty experience of three human senses for visitors with audio and visual enjoyment. The exhibition design would guide visitors to comprehend the relationship between humans and nature and explore doable ways of practicing sustainability.

Eco Expo Asia 2022, a leading trade fair in Asia for the environmental industry, is just around the corner! We are ready to meet you all again at Eco Expo Asia 2022. Come to meet up with our professional team and see how our sustainability and environmental consultancy services can accelerate your journey towards carbon neutrality and sustainability.

As the GRESB Asia-Pacific training partner, AEC Group is pleased to co-organize “2022 GRESB Regional Insights (Hong Kong)” with GRESB on 10 November 2022 following the release of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark 2022 results.

Dennis Wu, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of AEC Group has been invited to be one of the guest speakers of the IFMA's Integrate 2022 Facility Management Conference organized by the Hong Kong Chapter of International Facility Management Association (IFMA). Themed "Driving ESG Through FM Leadership", the conference has explored how FM professionals encourage operational efficiency with ESG indicators, where Dennis has shared his views on the ESG opportunities for the FM sector from the perspectives of green investment and financing with other industry-renowned experts.

AEC Group was awarded "5 years + EcoPioneer" of the 2021 BOCHK Corporate Environmental Leadership Awards, an event held by BOCHK together with the Federation of Hong Kong Industries. Let's also give a big applause to our clients The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited and Kai Shing Management Services Limited - New Town Plaza for attaining Silver Award and Bronze Award respectively in the 2021 BOCHK Corporate Environmental Leadership Awards (Service Sector). AEC Group is delighted to uplift their sustainability performance through our ESG advisory and reporting services.

Grace Kwok, our Chairman and Executive Director was invited as guest speaker in “Life Sustainability Summit 2022” organized by HKMA yesterday. With the topic “Championing Sustainability Inside Out”, Grace shared her journey with AEC staff on practicing sustainability in our daily life.

Thank you The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) for having Grace Kwok, Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group, at the Public Webinar on Energy Efficiency and Conservation 2022 to explore energy efficiency and conservation solutions with other industry professionals.

Climate action is not just a matter of enterprises but each and every one of us. The general public can take part in climate actions through green living, including green travelling, expenses, diet, household and workplace. Green and sustainable choices in living could contribute to carbon reduction.

Climate change has been a topic of great concern in recent years. The latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) pointed out that we must halve our net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 to control the increase in the global average temperature to well below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Thank you REHDA Institute and GreenRE for having Grace Kwok, Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group at the 2nd Green Build Conference 2022. Under the theme "ESG: Accelerating Sustainability in Malaysia's Real Estate Sector", heavyweight industry pioneers across the globe have shared valuable insights on news strategies and the latest cutting-edge innovations that can be adopted to build climate resilience and accelerate sustainability in the real estate sector.

Modern dietary habits are increasing the risk of getting chronic diseases such as triglycerides and diabetes. Three meals a day has been recognized as a golden rule of the new age but it does fail to provide enough time for digestion.

An increasing number of businesses are seeing the fruits of embracing ESG. How can companies foster greater business opportunities and position themselves for future growth through integrating ESG into their businesses?

Consumer behaviour has changed a lot over time. Although the price of clothing did not rise much due to the large workforce after China's Reforms and Opening-Up, white-collar workers in the 1970s were cautious about their purchasing decisions. And yet, with the rise of fast fashion, consumers are making their purchases a lot easier due to the relatively low prices.

Dennis Wu, Executive Director and the Chairman of Responsible Investment Committee, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of AEC Group with effect from 1 July 2022. Dennis was appointed as the non-executive Director in November 2015 and was re-designated as an Executive Director with effect from July 2020.

Hong Kong has been bridging the East and the West for more than 100 years since it was a colony. As a Window to the West, Hong Kong can enjoy the most benefits when the tension between the East and the West increases. However, Hong Kong may lose its advantages over its naturally geopolitical status if China adopts a completely open policy to the world.

The race for a net-zero future is on – it's time for our younger generation to take charge of climate actions! AEC Group has given our full support to the Youth Summit on "Climate Action: How can Young Environmental Professionals in the Greater Bay Area Take the Wheel to Drive Carbon Neutrality" organized by HKIQEP (Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals).

AEC Group will be exhibiting at ReThink HK 2022 this October!

People often evaluate the problem of Hong Kong from the perspective of a country but not the angle of a city. Given that a country consists of urban and rural areas, people living in megacities where the living indexes are relatively high, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, are often more productive or even a dignitary from all over the country. It is difficult for those who are retired or less productive to gain a foothold in these megacities.

“The Unfair Advantage”, written by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba, mentioned that we should identify our own “unequal advantages” among the five areas – financial resources, talent and insight, location and luck, education and professionalism, and status.

Thank you Business Environment Council for having Grace Kwok, Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group in the #EnviroSeries Conference “Driving Business Ambition into Action for a Net-Zero Hong Kong”. The lively and fruitful dialogues between business pioneers from different sectors showcased good practices of business collaboration in decarbonization.

Grace Kwok and Dennis Wu, Chairman and Vice Chairman and Executive Directors of AEC Group were invited as panellists at the Climate Change Hong Kong Summit organised by South China Morning Post SCMP as panellists, where they have shared their insights on energy consumption in building sector and carbon trading markets, respectively.

Let's join Dennis, Vice President and Executive Director of AEC Group at the Seminar on Preventing of Green Washing for Green Building Performance Disclosure organized by the School of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, co-organised by BRE and supported by AEC Group.

AEC Group becomes a nominee of the HKIRA 8th Investor Relations Awards! Voting is now open for the HKIRA 8th IR Awards and please cast your vote for AEC Group!

Eliminating inequality is often regarded as equity. An experiment conducted by communists in the Soviet Union and China to eliminate inequality a hundred years ago proved that inequality not only failed to create a utopia but people also lost their motivation simultaneously.

It’s World Environment Day today! AEC Group is at all times devoted to working with all sectors to build a better place for all through our expertise in environmental and sustainability solutions. Echoing this year’s theme Only One Earth, AEC Group, once again, gives our full support to the Hong Kong Green Day 2022 organized by Green Council. This Campaign encourages everybody to dress green for advocating a green living style, together with other initiatives motivating the adoption of green practices among the industries.

Join AEC Group at the “Net Zero Solutions Around the World in 24 hours” organized by WorldGBC! Mr Dennis Wu, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group and Ms Miranda Lui, Founder and Manager Director of MES Group as well as our Group’s ESG professional team will share insights on how to go through the decarbonization journey and reach the net-zero goal from the perspectives of green finance, ESG management and green technology, while Ms Grace Kwok, Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group, will be the moderator of the Q&A session.

Traditional infrastructures refer to facilities such as highway, railway, bridge, tunnel, airport, port, electrical grid, water supply system and so on. The new infrastructures today are more virtualized and digitalized, such as 5G network, Internet of Things and data centres.

The ninth goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 9) aims to support domestic technology development, research, and innovation in developing countries. While the successful development of an innovation system is believed to be driven by its thorough management approach, the Technology Readiness Scale (TRL Scale) originated in the measurement of a technology’s readiness. It allows managers to have a good grasp of the technical applicability and provides them with the basis for budgeting decisions to prioritize subsequent investments and avoid duplication.

AEC Group received three awards at the BDO ESG Awards 2022 Virtual Presentation Ceremony organized by BDO Limited!

Gross domestic product (GDP) was developed 100 years ago after the First World War. It was not intended to be a measurement of a country’s productivity, but to calculate the ability and compensation amount a defeated country has to pay to the victors.

The eighth goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development (SDG 8) aims to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all. In Hong Kong where the capitalist system is fully adopted, the relationship between supply and demand is paramount. Back in time when there was a shortage of surgical masks, engineers managing the production masks could ask for a monthly salary of $100,000 while allowing them to work for a number of manufacturers. Today, ESG has become a hot topic in the global financial market and corporates gradually thirst for ESG talents.

Women in Sustainability Leadership Awards Alumnae Group has announced the list of this year's “Women in Sustainability Leadership” representatives from around the world. Grace Kwok, Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group, was honored to be selected as one of the 2022 “Women in Sustainability Leadership”.

In view of the latest development of the pandemic, AEC Group has fully resumed normal operation in May.

SDG 7 can barely be achieved if the choice of energy is considered based on cleanness only and without affordability. As such, the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm announced the launch of Hydrogen Shot, an established framework and foundation for clean hydrogen deployment in American Jobs Plan. The Department of Energy has set out the “1-1-1” target which aims to have an 80% reduction from the clean hydrogen cost in 2020 to $1 per kilogram in 1 decade. International Energy Agency forecasts that the demand for hydrogen around the globe would reach 0.52 billion tonnes in 2070.

Big applause to AEC Group’s excellent performance in Green Building Award 2021, co-organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) and the Professional Green Building Council (PGBC)!

AEC Group fully supports the yearly signature event “HKIE Environmental Division Annual Forum 2022” organized by The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers Environmental Division and the event has turned out to be a great success!

The seventh goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7) aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services. When clean energy becomes a hot topic among the industry, fossil fuels and nuclear power are often seen as “monsters” because of the damages they caused to the environment.

Poor planning of the urban drainage systems not only affects environmental and personal hygiene, but can also be a breeding ground for disease. Back to the 1700s, when London was already an international metropolis, the streets were filthy and smelly with open drains more than a foot deep stuffed with ashes, animal carcasses and even manure. Although the British applied underground piping for drainage in 1810, the situation was back to square one when cholera broke out in Europe. The packed and dirty streets became a hotbed of disease, and the cholera pandemic took about 32,000 lives in the United Kingdom.

Dennis Wu, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group and Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Carbon Neutrality Association previously participated in a media interview with Jiemian News, where Dennis shared his views on the development of carbon market and green finance in the Greater Bay Area.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for all. According to a study by the United Nations, there are still about 2 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean water, and most of them are in developing countries. In Hong Kong, people enjoy an endless supply of freshwater by just turning on the faucet with a relatively cheap water charge among the world’s countries and regions.

The online forum on “Promoting Green FinTech for Carbon Neutrality” was turn out a great success! Thank you Hong Kong Institute of Business Studies, Lingnan University and The Investment Association of China (Hong Kong) for having Dennis Wu, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group and Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Carbon Neutrality Association in the Forum with other industry professionals.

When reducing carbon emissions becomes a global action, application of green FinTech could be the key. The online forum on “Promoting Green FinTech for Carbon Neutrality” co-organized by Hong Kong Institute of Business Studies, Lingnan University and The Investment Association of China (Hong Kong) is about to begin!

According to a study conducted by the UN Women, nearly one-third of women aged 15 and over have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime, and unemployment and poverty caused by the new epidemic have been shown to be one of the factors that intensify the risk of violence against women.

The fifth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) aims to promote gender equality and women’s rights. With the influence of the traditional mindset, women were asked to take care of families while all the roles in factories and offices were led by men. During the time of World War I, women started replacing men’s roles in factories as men were sent to war. In 1918, there were approximately one million women employed in military factories, accounting for almost two-thirds of all working women.

People put forward the theory of “uselessness of education” once in a while, citing successful entrepreneurs who have not received higher education as proof, such as Steve Jobs from Apple, Bill Gates from Microsoft and Zuckerberg from Meta. However, these are only some one-in-a-million cases in society. A survey conducted in the United States found that the income of the highest educated group is six times higher than that of the high-school educated group, while another survey also suggested a positive correlation between income and wealth, further echoing the proverb “a book holds a house of gold”.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Since literacy rates reflect the education level of each locality, research shows that the literacy rate worldwide is 92% for youth aged 15 to 24 and 86% for adults aged 15 and older. In view of this, China had adopted four large-scale literacy campaigns from 1949 to 1969, resulting in an illiteracy rate reduction to 6.72% in 2000. This is regarded as a miracle in the history of human culture and education.

One of the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) targets is to reduce the number of traffic injuries and fatalities, which is one of the common reasons causing deaths and casualties. The attitudes of drivers could be the cause for most traffic accidents, therefore automatic driving is suggested as a safer option.

It is often said that healthy people tend to neglect the importance of health until they lose it and realize that fame and fortune are fleeting. The third goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development (SDG 3) is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at every stage of life.

A recent survey conducted by the United Nations found that food waste from restaurants and stores accounts for 17% of all food waste. Adding up with those in farms and supply chains, the survey revealed that one-third of the food waste has never been eaten. Food waste induced losses not only in food but the natural and economic resources consumed as well. Education should be the first step in solving the food problem, followed by technology and financial instruments like Impact Fund.

Poverty and hunger have always been the greatest concern in human livability. They are also the first and second places of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are more than 690 million people in the world suffering from hunger, 812 million people suffering from malnutrition, and more than 3 million children under the age of five died from malnutrition every year.

The definition of Least Developed Countries (LDC) was given by the United Nations in 2015, referring to countries whose GNI per capita falls below US$1,035. 33 countries in Africa, 9 countries in Asia, 9 countries in Oceania and Haiti in the Americas are defined as LDC, while none of them are from Europe.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officially announced by the United Nations in 2015, have been discussed over the years. 193 countries are determined to achieve the 17 SDGs which consist of 169 targets and 230 indicators.

Some may doubt carbon neutrality is just hype in the financial market, and relevant stocks will fare poorly after the puffery. The reason behind this is they cannot see any possible profit therein. However, if countries all over the world put economic growth before carbon reduction, we will have to pay the price for being reckless to the consequences bought by the high level of carbon emissions. Heading towards carbon neutrality, the green premiums we must pay is much greater than the gain, and it is definitely a loss in the perspective of business.

Countries have reached a consensus at the COP26 Climate Conference on limiting global warming within 1.5°C and setting an interim target by 2030, that is, a 45% reduction in global carbon emissions. The significant growth of carbon emissions can be traced back to 1750 when the first steam engine was out, which substantially contributed to the Industrial Revolution. During the time, all kinds of mines and woodland were in great demand for rapid economic growth, and over-extraction of natural resources imposed huge negative impacts on the environment.

Phase Change Energy Storage Building Material has been found to be a unique material that can reduce electricity consumption while maintaining a satisfactory level of thermal comfort. It consists of the advantages of both ordinary building materials and phase change materials, which absorb and release an appropriate amount of heat energy and can be used along with other traditional building materials. Besides, it does not require special knowledge and skillsets for the installation and is able to be produced with standard production facilities. All these features make it competitive in terms of cost-effectiveness.

Promoting carbon reduction through market means is the best method discussed by the United Nations after rounds of climate summits. Through carbon trading, corporations could sell their unused carbon quota while companies whose carbon emissions exceed the limitation could buy an additional quota or pay a penalty charge.

Investing in activities aligned with environmentally-friendly business practices is called green investment. Other than certification standards, a number of rating tools are also available to avoid any business greenwashing by assessing the investment value in terms of ESG or sustainable development. Commonly used tools include MSCI ESG Rating, Fitch ESG Rating, Morning Star ESG Rating, GRESB, CPD and HSI ESG Rating, etc. The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong added the Type 10 license in 2018 to regulate the credit rating activities in Hong Kong.

In terms of finance, investment refers to the “buy-side” while financing refers to the “sell-side”. No matter Green Finance or Green Investment, “green” is the key. To determine whether a development is green, there are two international assessment standards, namely the Green Bond Principles of International Capital Market Association (ICMA) and the Climate Bonds Standard of Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI).

Animal husbandry accounts for one-fifth of global carbon emissions, in which 80% of them are from cattle and sheep. Ruminant stomachs have four compartments and one of them – the rumen – consists of various microorganisms. As grass and other vegetation ferment in the rumen, it produces methane and a host of other byproducts such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The methane is then expelled by the ruminant, mainly through belching and farting.

As the issue of climate change has become severe, new technologies should be in place to reduce carbon emissions and yet capitals are required to facilitate the advancement of technologies. In response to such demand, green or sustainable finance arises. How do we rate the level of technology advancement for investment? A set of standards called Technical Readiness Level (TRL) is adopted in the industry as a means of assessing technology maturity.

Bonds are often named after country-representative items, such as Yankee Bond from the United States, Samurai Bond from Japan and Kangaroo Bond from Australia. China also names bonds issued in the Mainland, Hong Kong and overseas as Panda Bond, Dim Sum Bond and Kungfu Bond respectively. Besides the place of issuance, the bonds differ in terms of the currency denominated. Since the income of the projects is calculated in RMB in China, the issue of currency exchange rate will be associated once the bond is calculated in US dollars and foreign exchange hedge would be necessary.

With the increasing awareness of climate change, Sustainable Finance and Green Finance have become a hot topic in the city. However, some people may find it difficult to distinguish them. Green Finance refers to all financial instruments that help improve the environmental performance through decarbonization such as projects facilitating clean energy provision, water quality improvement and product recycling, while Sustainable Finance includes both elements of environment and society, which are difficult to be managed at the same time as some social elements cannot be quantified.

Digitalization for sustainable development is based on two major development trends, namely green technology and digital transformation. Green technology tends to improve the production efficiency or optimize product effectiveness and at the same time utilize resources and energy, reduce the use and disposal of toxic substances, emphasize the importance of design for recycling and reuse, as well as reduce the pollution on the environment. Digital transformation refers to the increase of companies’ returns through the adoption of digital technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud, big data, algorithms, 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) are technologies that companies should realize and apply in their environment protection strategies.

United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) was established in 1945 after World War II. Until now, it is made up of 193 Member States and 2 Permanent Observers. Agreement with legal binding signed between countries is called convention. In 1992, governments from various countries have reached the agreement on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), stipulating that COP should be held every year starting from 1995 to assess the progress of the response to climate change.

ESG reporting has become one of the significant issues for listed companies. Rather than a perfunctory report once a year, ESG reports reveal sustainable development paths that companies should take into account seriously. According to the GL86-16 guidance of HKEX, listing applicants must include ESG-related matters in the business section of the prospectus, which will be reviewed as a whole. They should also consider whether the ESG matters need to be included in other parts of the prospectus.

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) refers to a carbon reduction technology that captures the carbon dioxide emitted from, for example, coal power plant and makes use of it or stores it, preventing it from releasing into the atmosphere. Fossil fuels are now the most stable and inexpensive energy resources after all. However, we could buy time for exploiting clean energy through adoption of CCS technologies.

Although adopting concentrated solar power would induce extra costs which we call the green premium, some rural areas in Africa and Asia may have a faster adoption of clean energy than other developed countries due to the unstable power supply caused by poor infrastructure. Fossil fuels are no longer the best option for its cost and impact to the environment while clean energy would be the most ideal option for building the power source in developing countries.

Today, almost 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases are released to the atmosphere every year, making the earth temperature increase by 1.3 degrees Celsius. Such temperature increase will possibly lead to extinction of many species. With a huge amount of fossil fuels is being used for electricity generation, investment in battery and transmission grid will be of significance in our way to get rid of fossil fuels.

The difference between “zero emissions” and “carbon neutrality” is that the former refers to activities with zero carbon emissions such as electricity generated from renewable energy while the latter focuses on the calculation of the total carbon emissions which can be offset by other green initiatives.

AEC today announced the launch of Sustainature, an online ESG management platform. The platform simplifies the process of ESG data processing for enterprises of all types, analyzes and manages data in one place, and helps generate ESG reports in compliance with the requirements of Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("HKEX").

As society has attached more importance to sustainable development, the performance of listed companies in ESG has become one of the investment considerations of many investors. International indexes and rating agencies have graded the ESG performance of international listed companies.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change persist, people are now paying more attention to environmental issues. Economic incentives such as green finance can motivate companies to support the Paris Agreement and other green goals. Once a company can prove that its business nature, any project or potential source of revenue is green in essence, it will be easier to adopt green loans and enjoy a lower interest rate.

As the core of an enterprise, employees not only play a key role in the daily production and operations of a business, but also create and share corporate culture, value and interests. As compared with other counterparts in the world, Hong Kong employees are more patient and considerate, and will only go on strike as a last resort. In fact, the productivity of an enterprise is closely related to employee satisfaction, and is mainly influenced by two factors, namely, human capital cost and production efficiency.

Collaborated by Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA), the Green Finance Committee of Guangdong Society for Finance and Banking (GDGFC), the Green Finance Committee of Financial Society of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SZGFC) and the Macau Association of Banks, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Green Finance Alliance aims to promote research and incubate green investments that will benefit the Greater Bay Area (GBA), by leveraging the vast green investment demand in Guangdong and green finance capacities in Hong Kong and Macau.

When it comes to sustainable development, we must first learn to innovate, which does not necessarily break the old and create something new – sometimes, every small change we make can lead us to success. With the lightning speed of technological evolution, Financial Technology, or FinTech in short, has brought significant impact on ESG.

The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) and the Professional Green Building Council (PGBC) unveiled finalists for the biennial Green Building Award 2021. 7 AEC projects have been selected as finalists and will enter the final selection stage.

The Financial Services Development Council has recently released a research report titled “Careers of Tomorrow: Financial Talents in the Digital, Sustainable Economy of Hong Kong”. The report puts forward recommendations for Hong Kong to enrich its pool of ESG and FinTech talents.

The board of directors is ultimately accountable for the operation of the company. Meanwhile, it may be beneficial to establish board committees to maintain corporate governance throughout the company.

It is believed that green bonds will become the mainstream of sustainable development in the future. Following the establishment of green bond principles, the green bond market has been growing sustainably.

Everyone could play a part in reducing carbon emissions in daily lives. From shopping to eating, opportunities are everywhere for us to achieve our shared goal to net zero.

Despite the shared vision to advance net zero worldwide, the differences in ideology between the East and the West have shaped the current state of carbon emissions around the world.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, global asset management institutions have paid unprecedented attention to ESG and climate change. It is said that the proportion of these institutions adopting ESG policies at the organizational structure level has risen sharply.

With the dominance of ESG in today’s environment, the priorities of companies have shifted from shareholders’ profits to the society, followed by customers and employees. Failure to meet their expectations may lead to negative consequences.