Headline Theatre Sponsor
Programmed by
Wednesday 05 October 2022
Mainstreaming Circularity in Business Strategies and Practices
Business is key in our transition to a circular economy. Companies large and small benefit from a business model that minimises waste and keeps materials and products in circulation in a high value state and for as long as possible.
Mainstreaming Circularity in Business Strategies and Practices is designed to highlight the circular economy transformation as one that will drive sustainable and resilient economic growth, help industry achieve its Sustainable Development Goals, and meet the needs of future generations.
11:00 –
11:10
Opening Welcome
11:25 –
12:25
From the Top Down (and Around): Driving Circular Business Model Transformation
The transition from a linear to a circular business model is one of the biggest transformations that organisations are experiencing today. We are presented with a golden opportunity to move away from traditional economic paradigms based on growth and profitability, and towards a new model which aims to secure businesses’ own existence by recognising that resources are not indefinite, and demands new value propositions, channels, products and services that reduce resource dependency and waste, keep resources in circulation for as long as possible, and regenerate natural systems.
Learnings
- What is the state of play in Hong Kong? How does a circular economy transition align with our city’s net-zero ambitions?
- How can businesses enhance collaboration and make use of data and advanced technologies to improve transparency around resources and financial flows, address customer needs, and communicate the transition as an integral part of their core strategies?
- What roles does senior management play in ensuring that employees and the next generation of business leaders have the right competencies for adopting a circular mindset to deliver on strategies and commitments?
Post-Event Actions
- Recognise that the circular economy transition will be a collaborative project, requiring organisations to rethink the holistic impact of a resource along entire lifecycles as well as partnerships upstream, downstream and across sectors.
- Recognise that the transformation to a circular business model involves not only living up to external demands to take care of the planet, but also provides a unique opportunity to optimise and secure the future of businesses.
12:40 –
13:30
Circular Buildings: Pursuing Circularity in Construction and the Built Environment
The real estate industry is one of the biggest consumers of virgin resources and emitters of solid waste streams globally. Shifts in occupant expectations, technology use and investor requirements are giving rise to the need for a circularity mindset – with the aim of keeping businesses relevant as well as supporting their license to operate in the face of fast-changing social and environmental considerations.
Learnings
- What does the circular economy mean for the built environment?
- How should built environment assets and services be designed, financed, constructed, operated, maintained and repurposed in line with circular economy principles and frameworks?
- What are the needs for quantitative data on financial benefits to mainstream circular economy practices in the industry? How should industry stakeholders collaborate to drive innovation, build capacity, leverage funding opportunities, and develop research and case studies?
Post-Event Actions
- Understand the value of circular solutions for building projects, such as increased resiliency to the prices of raw materials, reducing carbon emissions, waste and costs, higher asset valuation, maintenance of natural ecosystem services, and a positive brand image.
- Rethink investment opportunities in the built environment for designing and constructing buildings based on circular principles.
12:40 –
13:30
Circular Offices: Championing Circularity in Workplaces of the Future
By designing out waste and pollution and keeping resources in use, businesses can start to embrace circularity in the very place that defines them – the office. Hear from leaders in the space on how circular economy practices are incorporated in the whole lifespan of an office – from the fixtures and fittings of the building, to office design, furnishings and consumables, daily operation and eventual deconstruction.
Learnings
- What is the state of play in Hong Kong?
- How does having a circular office strategy futureproof your business?
- What are some ways for business to achieve their circularity aspirations in the office, from workplace design, to service and maintenance contracts, procurement practices and waste management for office consumables? What challenges and barriers exist, and how can they be overcome?
Post-Event Actions
- Rethink how your office can embrace circularity by sourcing more sustainably, harness technology for space, energy, resource and waste management.
- Understand that the way businesses are designed and organised bring benefits beyond meeting circularity goals, such as workforce appeal and retention.
15:00 –
15:45
Circular Fashion: Our Future in Sustainable Style
Every year millions of tonnes of clothes are produced, worn and discarded. According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, clothing production has doubled in the past 15 years, while clothing utilisation has decreased by 36%. As the industry grapples with minimising its much debated environmental impact, fashion brands and industry stakeholders are seeing a move towards conscious consumption and the need to embed circular thinking across all aspects of production and operations.
Learnings
- How can the fashion industry best work with consumers, suppliers and all those in its value chain to enhance investment, innovation, transparency and traceability, and scale wise and renewable usage of resources, clothing utilisation and recycling rates?
- How can we develop a more considered model that designs out waste and pollution, and focuses on the longevity and life cycle of our apparel and footwear items?
- How does Hong Kong and Asia come into play?
Post-Event Actions
- Rethink the role technology play in accelerating ambitions towards a circular fashion industry.
- Consider how redesigning our fashion industry with a circular approach represent untapped economic opportunities, in addition to being the right thing to do for environmental and ethical reasons.
15:45 –
16:30
A Paradigm Shift: The Role of Finance and Multi-Stakeholder Solutions in Our Circular Economy Transition
The shift to a circular economy model offers huge opportunities for the financial industry and other private sector players to deliver on climate commitments and ESG objectives, as well as to tap into new sources of growth and long-term value creation. However, an economy-wide circular transition calls for the agenda to move beyond individual industries – and to capitalise on multi-stakeholder groups and public-private collaboration to help set the right direction and leverage the playing field for all.
Learnings
- Recognising that significant capital will be needed to scale the transition to a circular economy model, investors, banks and other financial services companies are beginning to capitalise on this momentum through the creation of debt and equity instruments, bank lending, project finance and insurance.
- What tools, metrics and data are needed to support finance and investment decision making by the financial sector, businesses and policymakers?
- Using finance and the circularity transition as an example, what role do multi-stakeholder groups play in bridging gaps and enhancing public-private dialogue to scale solutions?
Post-Event Actions
- Gain insights on the state of play and challenges faced by the financial industry and other players in capturing the circular economy opportunity.
- Rethink the role of multi-stakeholder groups and public-private collaborations play in setting the right direction and scaling solutions for circular economy adoption.
16:30 –
17:15
Circular Hospitality: Accelerating the Road to Recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic had no doubt made an unprecedented impact on the hospitality industry. As the world emerges from the pandemic era, the need for hospitality leaders to reassess operations and set new goals and strategies to reduce waste and resource consumption in line with changing consumer expectations will be key in its pathway to recovery and industry sustainability.
Learnings
- The business case for setting circularity goals for the hospitality industry
- In adopting a circular mindset, how are industry players rethinking the way they create, consume, recycle and reuse? How are cross-sectoral collaborations being pursued to repurpose waste, reduce costs, improve resource efficiency and drive innovation towards circularity goals?
- What is the state of play in Hong Kong? What are some pilot projects, solutions and initiatives that are being implemented? What have been the biggest challenges in terms of industry and employee engagement, and how can they be overcome?
Post-Event Actions
- Gain insights on how you can introduce a more circular mindset to your business, and gain buy-in internally and externally.
- Rethink how your company and industry can minimise waste at every step by designing, producing and distributing products and services in ways that optimise circular economy approaches.
17:15 –
18:00
Circular Packaging: Rethinking Solutions to Our Plastics Crisis
Most packaging is designed to be used and discarded in a linear process that results in enormous waste and pollution, particularly where plastics are concerned. As consumer attention on their environmental impact heightens, companies are driven to rethink their role in our economy’s transition to a more circular model, the entire lifecycle of products, and the momentum for innovations and investment in responsible packaging.
Learnings
- What is the state of play in Hong Kong?
- What are some tools and techniques that businesses can use to better understand product packaging and plastics within their supply chains, and to retain value in their systems through responsible product design that eliminates waste and reuses and recycles materials rather than disposing of them?
- How can we develop efficient, effective and inclusive systems for collection, reuse and recycling to complement packaging redesigned for circularity? What opportunities and cost and scale challenges exist?
Post-Event Actions
- Explore opportunities to integrate circularity initiatives into your operations and to collaborate with partners within your sector and community to implement viable solutions at scale.
Headline Theatre Sponsor
Thursday 06 October 2022
Mainstreaming Sustainability for SMEs
(Cantonese with English interpretation)
In Partnership with
Hong Kong’s SME sector is 340,000 companies strong. Opportunities for SMEs in sustainability are many and offer tangible business value – from building supply chain resilience and meeting changing customer and investor expectations, to winning new business.
Hosted in Cantonese with English interpretation, Mainstreaming Sustainability for SMEs is designed to showcase sustainability as a huge growth opportunity for SMEs in Hong Kong, and address why and how adopting sustainable business models is crucial to driving long-term success as well as creating value for the communities in which they serve.
Session Details Coming Soon!
Headline Theatre Sponsor
All sessions are subject to change.
