Circular Transition: Rethinking Waste as a Resource

Fiona is the Resource and Waste Management skills lead for East Asia, managing projects at different stages of the materials value chain from ‘end of first life’ through the ‘Rs’ of reuse, repurposing, recycling, recovery or finally disposal. She walks the talk with low waste lifestyle.

She is a Chartered Resource & Waste Manager (CIWM), Chartered Water & Environment Manager (CIWEM), member of the HK Waste Management Association and active member of the BEC Circular Economy Advisory Group.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

• Equality of convenience for recycling & waste disposal – no more time penalty to do the right thing
• Space for recycling industry
• 25-28oC for AC (not -18)
• 4th gen nuclear for new power

Mr Kenneth Cheng is currently the Assistant Director of Environmental Protection of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He is responsible for the implementation of waste management policies, including the Plastic Shopping Bag Charging Scheme, Producer Responsibility Schemes, regulation of disposable plastic tableware and other plastic products, as well as central collection of waste paper and plastics, etc.

Kenneth joined the Administrative Service of the HKSAR Government in 1995. He has worked in various bureaux and departments and was responsible for different policy areas, including the higher education policy in Hong Kong, public revenue policy, project planning of the Government’s e- services, etc. Kenneth was once stationed in the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto. Before joining the Environmental Protection Department in September 2022, he served as the District Officer of the Kwai Tsing District of Hong Kong.

Frederik van Eijk, is CEO of Holland Circular Hotspot and co-chair of the EU Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. He is also vice-chair of the Circular Biobased Delta and adjunct professor at the LUISS Business School.
He is one of the more senior EU experts in the field of Waste Management and Circular Economy and has been described as a “mover and a shaker’.
Previously he served as Director of strategy and PA at multinational SUEZ and board member at the Dutch Waste Management Association.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

That Hong Kong launches the ambition to be the leading metropole in Asia in a circular transition and sets out a roadmap with clear goals supported by businesses to get there.

Wander is a senior executive with 25+ years management experience in businesses and NGOs in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Wander leads Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden as Executive Director, where he and his team of 250+ staff work on biodiversity, wildlife rehabilitation, organic farming, reforestation, sustainable living and holistic education with the mission to harmonize our (human) relationship with nature.

Furthermore, Wander is business advisor of and impact investor in social enterprises in Africa and the Netherlands, related to poverty alleviation and agricultural transition.

Wander has a master’s degree Development Geography and Economics with as main subject: ‘Why are some countries rich and others poor?’ and what can we do about it! Specifically, how can we change our current economic model and human behavior to better live within the ecological boundaries of the earth.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

To make Nature the most important stakeholder in any (re)development plan for Hong Kong.

After a few years in a Consulting Firm that brought him to different continents, Laurent Pelletier joined Veolia twenty years ago and has not quit Asia ever since.

He started in Shanghai in the water business, taking different positions in Pudong Veolia Water, acting at the end as a COO. In 2010, Laurent moved to Hong Kong to take the position of CTO for Asia and support our operations and fast growth in the region.

In 2019, he took over the responsibility of Veolia Hong Kong and diversified Veolia’s portfolio of activities there, not only focusing on waste management but also energy optimization for buildings.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

Embrace the ambitious carbon neutrality target by expediting the implementation of various decarbonisation actions to make HK into a more sustainable and resilient city.