Asia’s Hub for Climate Action & Sustainable Business Solutions #OnlyWayForward

Workshop B

Workshop B

Day 1 – Thursday 10 Sept

12:00 – 13:15

Designing with Nature-based Solutions (NbS): Towards an Ecological and Healthy City

12:00 – 13:15

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have emerged as a powerful opportunity to transform how cities and businesses respond to climate change and biodiversity loss. Increasingly recognized by governments, private sector, and professionals, NbS are being integrated into projects that deliver both ecological and social value.

This workshop will explore the multifaceted role of NbS — not only as an environmental strategy, but as a driver of innovation, resilience, and value creation to address societal challenges. Through interactive discussions, participants will discover practical approaches to embedding NbS in design and planning, uncover its potential to strengthen ESG performance and green finance, and mainstreaming NbS across disciplines and engaging the public. By positioning NbS as a catalyst for biodiversity and human well-being in cities, this workshop empowers participants to champion nature-driven approaches that accelerate Hong Kong’s sustainable development and inspire broader community participation.

Session Learnings:

  • Understand key concepts, definitions and standards of NbS.
  • Explore practical approaches and case studies to integrating NbS into design and planning to enhance biodiversity and improve human well-being in development projects.
  • Discover the benefits of NbS in advancing ESG goals and green finance, highlighting its role in Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Explore strategies and actionable pathways for mainstreaming NbS across interdisciplinary professions and engaging the wider public.

Post-Event Actions:

  •  Conduct self-assessment to evaluate whether projects or investments meet the criteria of NbS standards.
  • Identify opportunities for collaboration with landscape architects and partnering organizations to strengthen NbS for diverse industries and sectors.
  • Promote awareness and mainstream NbS through policy development, practical implementation, and education initiatives.

Speakers

Dr. Yin-Lun Chan

Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects

President

Dr Yin-Lun Chan is a landscape architect and urban historian, current President of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA); Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Design and Architecture at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi). He holds a PhD in Architectural History and Theory and Master of Landscape Architecture. He is also Chief Editor the HKILA Journal Yuanlin and Chair of the Centre for Community Cultural Development (CCCD). His teaching and research explore intersections of community arts and design and landscape architecture. He is editor of The Landscape Profession of Hong Kong, 1978–2015.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

  • Initiating the landscape and ecological blueprint for Hong Kong
  • Publishing the mini-forest guidelines
  • Instigating the agenda on circular landscape practices

Marine Thomas

The Nature Conservancy Hong Kong Foundation Ltd

Associate Director of Conservation

Marine Thomas is Associate Director of Conservation for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Hong Kong. She is responsible for overseeing TNC’s marine conservation projects on the ground, with a current focus on restoring natural habitats, community-based conservation, and developing sustainable livelihoods as nature-based solutions. Marine is also restoration ecologist specializing in estuarine ecosystems. Over the past 8 years, she has been developing restoration methods, evaluating ecosystem services, developing innovative conservation finance and advocating for policy changes that support widespread restoration efforts in Hong Kong’s waters.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

I would like to help Hong Kong develop a high-integrity ecotourism policy

Supported by

14:00 – 15:15

From ISSB Readiness to Stakeholder Engagement: Building an End-to-End ESG Reporting Journey

14:00 – 15:15

As ISSB-based sustainability reporting becomes mandatory across Hong Kong and many other Asian jurisdictions, organizations need more than compliance – they need an effective end-to-end reporting process.

In this joint workshop, KPMG Hong Kong and Tangelo will demonstrate how organizations can build an integrated ESG reporting journey, from understanding ISSB-based reporting requirements and establishing robust governance and data collection processes, through to producing high-quality sustainability reports and engaging stakeholders through modern digital reporting.

KPMG Hong Kong will share practical insights into materiality, value chain considerations, gap analyses, governance, and change management. Tangelo will demonstrate an integrated ESG reporting workflow, showing how organizations can streamline data collection, report production, and digital publication.

Using the award-winning Swire Pacific Sustainability Report as a real-world example, we will conclude by demonstrating how a modern sustainability microsite transforms a sustainability report into an engaging, accessible, and transparent digital experience.

Session Learnings:

  • Understand how ISSB-based reporting requirements are shaping sustainability reporting across Asia.
  • Learn how to establish a controlled, auditable ESG reporting process from materiality assessment to publication.
  • See how integrated ESG data collection and report production can improve efficiency, governance, and reporting quality.
  • Discover how digital sustainability reporting can increase stakeholder engagement beyond regulatory compliance.
  • Gain practical insights from a leading corporate sustainability reporting implementation.

Post-Event Actions:

  • Assess your organization’s readiness for ISSB-based sustainability reporting.
  • Identify opportunities to strengthen ESG data collection, governance, and reporting workflows.
  • Evaluate how digital reporting can improve stakeholder communication and transparency.
  • Develop a roadmap towards an integrated, end-to-end ESG reporting process.

Speakers

Arko Vervark

Tangelo Software

CCO

Arko Vervark, MBA, serves as Chief Commercial Officer at Tangelo Software, where he leads initiatives to enhance corporate reporting through innovative solutions. With a strong passion for advising organizations and empowering individuals, Arko focuses on streamlining corporate reporting processes like annual reporting and ESG reporting to meet the evolving demands of stakeholders.

Erin Hsu

Tangelo Software

Regional Sales Manager

With thanks to

15:45 – 17:00

From Data to Action: Affordable Housing at Speed

15:45 – 17:00

Hong Kong faces an urgent mandate: 189,000 public housing units delivered over five years, while meeting rising sustainability requirements including BEAM Plus certification and low-carbon construction standards. The ULI Asia Pacific Home Attainability Index 2026 benchmarks Hong Kong’s housing challenge against 40+ cities across the region, surfacing both the scale of the gap and what peer markets are doing differently.
This workshop opens with two short presentations — one presenting APAC-wide HAI data and regional comparisons, the second showcasing a Hong Kong case study in affordable and sustainable housing delivery — before participants break into small, role-specific table discussions. Each group works on one question: given what you now know and what you control, what will you commit to doing in the next 12 months?

Session Learnings:

  • How Hong Kong’s housing affordability compares to 41 cities across Asia Pacific, based on the ULI Asia Pacific Home Attainability Index 2026, and which regional delivery models are producing results
  • How Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) can reduce build time by 30–50% and costs by 20–30%, with direct co-benefits for carbon emissions — drawing on evidence from Singapore, Japan, and Australia
  • What specific regulatory, procurement, and financing barriers are slowing affordable and sustainable housing delivery in Hong Kong, and how they compare to challenges in peer markets
  • How green finance instruments can be structured to support affordable and sustainable housing simultaneously, and what conditions need to be in place for them to work at scale in Hong Kong

Post-Event Actions:

  • identify and commit to one specific action — in design, procurement, construction methods, or financing — that your organisation can take to support faster delivery of affordable and sustainable housing in Hong Kong in the next 12 months
  • Explore adoption of MiC, DfMA, or low-carbon construction methods in an upcoming project or procurement process
  • Assess the applicability of green finance instruments — green bonds, sustainability-linked loans — to a real housing project or investment decision within your organisation
  • Share HAI 2026 data and regional benchmarks internally to build awareness of Hong Kong’s housing challenge and the cross-sector response it requires

Supported by

Day 2 – Friday 11 Sept

13:45 – 15:00

Nature as a Business Solution: Inspirations for Hong Kong Companies

13:45 – 15:00

Nature-based solutions have moved from niche environmental concept to proven business strategy – delivering measurable returns on operational resilience, cost reduction, stakeholder trust, and regulatory readiness. Yet CGI HK’s research finds that nature remains largely a nascent topic from Hong Kong boardrooms, with limited awareness of how nature-related risks and opportunities connect to core business performance.

This workshop shifts the conversation from compliance to competitive advantage. Hosted by CGI HK in collaboration with leading sustainability specialists, the session showcases real-world examples of how Hong Kong and regional companies have deployed nature-based solutions to solve tangible business challenges – from urban heat management and water resilience to biodiversity-linked asset value and supply chain durability. Following the case study showcase, participants work in small groups to identify which nature-based approaches are most relevant and actionable for their own sector and context. Collective insights will be shared with the CGI HK community.

Session Learnings:

  • Understand how leading companies in Hong Kong and the region are deploying nature-based solutions to address real operational, reputational, and financial challenges
  • Discover the business case for nature across different sectors – including built environment, financial services, hospitality, and logistics – with concrete examples and outcomes
  • Learn how nature-related frameworks (including TNFD considerations) can be practically integrated into corporate strategy without requiring deep technical expertise at the outset
  • Leave with sector-specific ideas and a peer network to support your organisation’s first steps toward nature-positive action

Post-Event Actions:

  • Share case study inspiration with colleagues and leadership – positioning nature-based solutions as a business opportunity, not a reporting obligation
  • Identify one nature-related risk or opportunity most relevant to your organisation and explore what a first assessment might look like
  • Connect with case study presenters for follow-up conversations on sector-specific applications
  • Engage with CGI HK’s ongoing nature governance resources and peer learning network

Speakers

Spencer Liu

Climate Governance Initiative Hong Kong Chapter

Executive Director

Spencer Liu is Executive Director of the Climate Governance Initiative Hong Kong Chapter (CGI HK), a non-profit initiative dedicated to empowering board directors to exercise effective climate governance. In this role, Spencer works with business leaders and governance professionals to strengthen boardroom capabilities and embed climate oversight across Hong Kong’s corporate landscape, influencing through practical guidance, cross-sector engagement, and original research to support decision-making in the climate transition.

Beyond CGI HK, Spencer has founded Riverwood Climate Solutions, where he advises corporations and startups across Asia on climate technologies, with a focus on strategy and venture building in sustainable transportation and circular economy.

Earlier in his career, Spencer spent eight years at McKinsey & Company, where he co-led sustainability and green business building in Greater China as an Associate Partner. He is a CFA charterholder, CESGA holder, and LEED Green Associate.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

Deepen tradeoff discussions in sustainability-embedded business decisions in the board room

Supported by

All sessions are subject to change.