Sustainable Transformation Theatre (Keynote)

Mr Wong Kam-sing was born in 1963 and graduated from the Department of Architecture of the University of Hong Kong.  He received further education on sustainable built environment in the postgraduate program from the University of British Columbia in Canada.  He assumed the post of the Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government on 1 July 2012.

As an architect by profession, Mr Wong has been promoting sustainable built environment since 1990s.  His designs and researches on sustainable built environment have won him various local, regional and international awards.  He served as the founder Chairman of the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Chairman of the Professional Green Building Council and the Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, and has contributed to the promotion and research of the standards and guidelines for sustainable built environment applicable to the high-density urban environment of Hong Kong.

During his tenure as the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong has launched and updated a number of policy blueprints covering air quality, waste management, energy saving, climate actions and biodiversity.

Mr. Lawson Lau is the Executive Director of Cornerstone Technologies Holdings Limited. Prior to founding Cornerstone Technologies, Lawson spent over 19 years in the construction industry, primarily on product management and business development.

Lawson runs all facets of the business and oversees Cornerstone Technologies’ innovation efforts in EV (Electric Vehicle) charging, sustainable energy and IT solutions starting from 2016.

Jim is Senior Director – Planning & Development at CLP Power Hong Kong, where he is responsible for supporting the company’s future long term strategic development and regulatory regime.  He has extensive senior management experience of electricity, gas and environmental issues with leading companies in both regulated and deregulated energy markets in the UK and Australia.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

2021 is CLP’s 120^th year.  We aim to use our experience and expertise to work with government and other key stakeholders this year to develop a practical roadmap to help Hong Kong reach carbon neutrality before 2050.

Chairman, European Automotive Council

Martijn is an international business leader with broad interdisciplinary experience in premium automotive and luxury goods business. Since the beginning of 2019 Martijn has been based in Hong Kong where in his role as Managing Director for the BMW Group Importer Office he is responsible for the BMW and MINI business in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Piers is ERM’s Managing Partner for China/Hong Kong/Taiwan. He works with industrial and financial sector clients to identify, quantify, manage and disclose sustainability risks.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

To educate others about the realities of climate change and the steps that can be taken to reduce emissions.

Dr Lamrad leads the sustainability and ESG advisory team at BEC, advising corporate clients on how to develop and communicate sustainability strategies, initiatives and performance. She monitors and analyses the latest market and regulatory developments to advise clients on potential ESG risks and opportunities. Dr Lamrad has worked with a number of large, small and medium enterprises, providing guidance and advisory services regarding their sustainability strategies, benchmarking, policy development and reporting. In her academic capacity, Dr Lamrad’s expertise covers global governance, private regulation, corporate responsibility and sustainability. Dr Lamrad investigated the role of business in sustainable development and introduced innovative models for understanding how corporate responsibility is operationalised in different jurisdictions. For the past decade, Dr Lamrad has applied her wide-ranging expertise to cultivate thought leadership around corporate sustainability, develop and execute sustainability strategies, and assess and improve overall performance.

Zoe Lau is a Vice President at BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship (BIS) team in APAC. She is responsible for engaging with listed companies in BlackRock’s portfolio on corporate governance and sustainability issues. She also contributes to BlackRock’s interactions with regulators and industry organizations on relevant policy matters in the region.

Tracy Wong Harris is the Head of Sustainable Finance for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, focusing on the Bank’s sustainable finance strategy, by developing new products and solutions, further incorporating ESG considerations into banking decisions, and identifying sustainable finance opportunities for clients. Tracy is also the Vice President and Deputy Secretary General of Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA).

Kenneth Hui is the Head of Market Development Division of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), in charge of the HKMA’s efforts to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international financial centre. Prior to joining the HKMA, Ken was a senior manager at the Investment Products Division of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), specialising in regulatory policies on retail funds and innovative retail investment products. During his time at the SFC, Ken was seconded to the Secretariat of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, where he was responsible for global OTC derivatives reforms.

Christine Ip is CEO – Greater China of UOB and a non-executive director of UOB China. Ip has more than 30 years of experience in both consumer and corporate banking and has significant experience in the mainland China and overseas markets. She holds a bachelor’s degree in arts from the University of Hong Kong and a MBA from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

With sustainability being integral to the competitive agility of every organisation, Christine Ip strives to ensure the 17 Sustainability Development Goals are firmly embedded in corporate strategy for the more sustainable environmental, social and governance outcomes.

Edoardo Francesco Sabatino is an intrapreneur and manages Sustainable Finance deals of Intesa Sanpaolo, IMI Corporate & Investment Banking division in APAC. On the institutional side, he is a Member of the HKGCC – Environment & Sustainability Committee. Furthermore, he is pursuing a joint Executive MBA from Columbia Business School, London Business School and Hong Kong University.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

I’m keen to boost Circular Economy practices in APAC, discover new business opportunities related to sustainability and work toward a better will for our planet, oceans and communities.

Mr. Charles Ng heads the Sector Specialists Group helping overseas and Mainland companies to establish or expand their business presence in Hong Kong. The nine Sector Speclialist Teams grouped under three Clusters namely: Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Fintech, Financial & Professional Services and Lifestyle & Creative Industries offer a one stop service to help startups, scale ups, small medium enterprises and multinational corporations tap into the opportunities Hong Kong, the Guangdong, Hong Kong Macau Greater Bay Area, the Mainland and Asia have to offer to grow their business.

My career combines commercial with sustainability policies. I worked for the ILO in Nigeria; the Dutch MFA and for the EU on nuclear fusion, humanitarian aid and health policies. Recent postings include Indonesia and the Philippines, where I served as head of the trade section of the EU Delegation, following which I was responsible for leveraging EU’s trade (preferences) for improving labour, human rights and environmental standards. In January 2021, I was appointed head of the trade section of the EU office to Hong Kong and Macao.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

• Supporting the green transformation
• Green/sustainable finance/trade and values/partnerships
• Be mindful of own behaviour

Linda Bradley, MSc Industrial Engineering, is Sweden’s Trade and Invest Commissioner to Hong Kong as of this year. Sweden’s business promotion focus areas are Smart city development, Smart Energy and Sustainable consumption/food. Linda is Chairperson at Nordic Innovation House in Hong Kong, helping innovative companies to tap into the market.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

Sweden aims to be the first fossil-free welfare nation in the world.

This aim shows that Sweden’s strategy is not just about reducing emissions, but is also about doing so in a way that also enhances well-being. By showing that it is possible, we can inspire more countries to follow the same path.

Dr. Shauhrat S. Chopra received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, USA, in 2015. His data-driven research is focused on guiding the sustainable design of future transformative emerging technologies. Dr. Chopra’s transdisciplinary collaborations with industrial partners enable actionable research toward sustainability and resilience of critical sectors, including energy, transportation, finance, textile, and food systems.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

Designing and applying systems level modeling approaches for prospective sustainability assessment to inform decision-making.

Kent embraces change and challenges. He leads Hongkong Land on innovation activities, focusing on adding value to customers and the business by exploring and implementing new ideas and technologies. Prior to his current role, he held senior positions in corporate finance, business development, financial control and risk management in various industries including real estate, hospitality, banking and infrastructure sectors.

A former investment banker turned impact entrepreneur, Shervin has dedicated himself to developing a financially viable and scalable solution to the global plastic waste crisis and reducing the environmental damage and carbon footprint of the construction industry.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

Increasing plastic waste recycling rates, creating a true circular economy solution and reducing embodied carbon in construction.

Jamie Allen is the founding Secretary General of the Asian Corporate Governance Association, an independent membership association carrying out original research, advocacy and education on corporate governance in Asia since 1999.

Yoo-Kyung Park is Asia-Pacific head of the Global Responsible Investment and Governance Team at APG Asset Management Asia, an asset manager for Dutch pension funds, based in Hong Kong. Her main role is to oversee portfolios and implement Responsible Investment Policies on behalf of APG clients. Asset classes under her responsibility include: listed equities, listed real estate, infrastructure, and private/strategic real estate investments. She covers the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan and Australia, and actively engages with portfolio companies, market regulators/exchanges, and other institutional investors on corporate governance, environmental and social issues. Prior to APG, she was a securities analyst at international investment banks such as Barings Securities and KEB Salomon Smith Barney. She has covered a range of industry sectors including power/gas utilities, consumer, transportation, and heavy industries such as steel, chemicals and refining.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

To help companies make brave decisions to shut down coal fired power facilities.

Wendy is an advocate for good corporate governance. She is a co-opted member of Audit and Risk Committee of Hospital Authority, and was previously Executive Director of Hysan Development. First trained as a solicitor, Wendy is a CPA and governance practitioner in HK. She is a law graduate, Oxford University.

My Sustainability Goals for 2021:

To contribute towards further enhancing the “G” (governance) factor.