In the face of escalating climate challenges, Hong Kong businesses stand at a crucial juncture requiring immediate and strategic action towards sustainability and decarbonisation. Transition planning for a lower-carbon future is vital, not only for mitigating environmental impact but also for ensuring long-term business resilience and competitiveness in the global market. As international regulatory landscapes evolve and consumer demand for sustainable practices grows, companies without clear net-zero strategies risk falling behind. Implementing transition plans allows Hong Kong businesses to lead in innovation, engage with different stakeholders, and contribute significantly to the city’s long-term climate targets, marking a critical step in both environmental stewardship and economic advancement.
Learnings:
Post-event Actions:
Moderator
Suki Han
Assistant Manager – Policy & Research
Business Environment Council
Business Environment Council
Assistant Manager – Policy & Research
Suki has 10 years of experience in sustainability consulting, stakeholder engagement, and policy research. Currently at BEC, Suki leads research initiatives related to climate change and energy transition, including BEC’s Climate Change Business Forum, Net-zero Carbon Charter and sectoral energy transition research projects.
Previously, Suki worked with a range of clients across different sectors on sustainability issues in the US and Hong Kong. Her responsibilities included researching international renewable energy policies and developing ESG strategies. She also worked in private equity and venture capital. She has actively participated in international climate change negotiations and policy development, such as COP21.
Suki holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University, and an MBA degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Michelle Au
Sustainability, Director
China State Construction & Engineering Hong Kong
China State Construction & Engineering Hong Kong
Sustainability, Director
I have worked with the focus on sustainability management, waste reduction policy and climate change related over for 20 years. A plentiful knowledge on environmental science and management of other cites regulations and policy could assist Secretary for Environment to analyze and draft policy for Hong Kong. During my almost ten-year tenure at HKSAR Environment Bureau (ENB) as the role of a Political Assistant, I participated in the process of policy making as well, like Producer Responsibility Schemes.
After stepping down from government, I have joined China State Construction and Engineering Hong Kong Ltd (中國建築工程香港有限公司) as the Sustainability Director since end of 2022. I have introduced a program to trial the use of Hydrogen Power Generation on construction sites and facilitated the industry’s largest Social Responsibility Loan of HKD 500 million in 2024.
I represented the company in professional councils and secured multiple awards, including the “Pioneer Award in Green Building Leadership (Contractor)” at the 2023 Environmental Building Awards, underscoring our commitment to sustainability.
In terms of personal public office, I am a council member (2025-2028) of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals (HKIQEP). I am also a member of the Smart Waste Management Tool Working Group at the Construction Industry Council (CIC), and a co-opted member of the Sustainable Development Committee of the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC).
Jessica Chan
Head of Sustainability
MTR Corporation Limited
MTR Corporation Limited
Head of Sustainability
Jessica is the Head of Sustainability of MTR Corporation. She leads the development of sustainability strategies, driving sustainability initiatives, and overseeing the preparation of sustainability reports and disclosures. She has developed a corporate Climate Change Strategy for the company and leads regular review of climate risks and controls across various business units. She has also crafted a long-term decarbonisation roadmap and set science-based carbon reduction targets for MTR. Furthermore, Jessica provides her technical expertise to support the issuance of green bonds by the company.
With an extensive background spanning over 25 years in environmental and corporate sustainability, Jessica is a seasoned sustainability professional with a diverse skill set encompassing sustainability strategies and policies, sustainability communications and disclosure, regulatory compliance, and emerging sustainability issues. Actively engaged in the sustainability arena, Jessica is a member of various international and local sustainability-related committees, including the Sustainable Development Committee of The International Association of Public Transport, the Community of ESG Practitioners of the World Economic Forum, and the Environment & Sustainability Committee of The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.
Jessica also contributes to academia as a member of the Programme Advisory Committee for an MSc sustainability programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and serves as an Advisory Board member for an MSc ESG Management programme at Lingnan University. Since 2021, she has been a member of the Board of Examiners for the Hong Kong Sustainability Award organised by The Hong Kong Management Association.
Manshu Deng
Hong Kong Chapter Director
Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero
Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero
Hong Kong Chapter Director
Manshu leads the Hong Kong Chapter at the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). Building on the works by the GFANZ APAC Network, she focuses on engaging and building capacity with financial institutions across Greater China to scale transition finance to support the real economy transition to net-zero.
Before joining GFANZ, Manshu performed various roles covering programme management, market research and data analytics, at the Hong Kong Academy of Finance, Climate Bonds Initiative, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Bloomberg. Manshu holds a master’s degree in Financial Analysis from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and bachelor’s degrees in Science and Commerce from the University of Ottawa, Canada.
Manshu is now based in Hong Kong. She is fluent in Mandarin, English and Cantonese.
Max Thomas
ESG Solutions
ESG Solutions
Max leads HSBC’s APAC ESG Solutions team, where the team work with clients across the region supporting them on developing their approach to ESG. HBSC’s ESG Solutions proposition covers how to integrate ESG within the business, how ESG can act as a value driver for a company, insights on regulatory changes, ESG rating considerations as well as key disclosures and considerations from a capital markets perspective.
My Sustainability Goals for 2024:
Continue to look forward to engaging with our corporate clients on how ESG can be an opportunity for their business and how they should look to develop going forward.
Business Environment Council Limited (BEC) is an independent, charitable corporate membership organisation, established by the business sector in Hong Kong.
Since its establishment in 1992, BEC has been at the forefront of promoting environmental excellence by advocating the uptake of clean technologies and practices which reduce waste, conserve resources, prevent pollution and improve corporate environmental and social responsibility.
BEC offers sustainable solutions and professional services covering advisory, research, assessment, training and award programmes for government, business and the community, thus enabling environmental protection and contributing to the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.
Cody Leong
Senior Officer – Policy & Research
Business Environment Council
Suki Han
Assistant Manager – Policy & Research
Business Environment Council
Clement Cheung
Assistant Manager – Policy & Research
Business Environment Council
Kevin O’Brien
Chairman
Business Environment Council
Merlin Lao
Head – Policy and Research
Business Environment Council
Simon Ng
Chief Executive Officer
Business Environment Council
As a recognised world-class operator of sustainable rail transport services, MTR is a leader in safety, reliability, customer service and efficiency.
MTR has extensive end-to-end railway expertise with over 45 years of railway projects experience from design to planning and construction through to commissioning, maintenance and operations. Going beyond railway delivery and operation, MTR also creates and manages dynamic communities around its network through seamless integration of rail, commercial and property development.
Our sustainability goals for 2025:
Solutions Showcase:
Legal Name: MTR Corporation Limited
General Enquiry Phone Number: 2881 8888
Co-Headline Sponsor for the Finance & Supply Chains Theatre
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited is the founding member of the HSBC Group. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 62 countries and territories. With assets of US$3,001bn at 31 March 2024, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.
Our purpose – Opening up a world of opportunity – explains why we exist. We’re here to use our unique expertise, capabilities, breadth and perspectives to open up new kinds of opportunity for our customers. We’re bringing together the people, ideas and capital that nurture progress and growth, helping to create a better world – for our customers, our people, our investors, our communities and the planet we all share.
Our sustainability goals for 2024:
“We’re focused on helping to deliver a net zero global economy. It’s a pillar of our strategy as a business.”
In 2020, we set an ambition to become a net zero bank by 2050 and since then we have announced several significant policies and ambitions around climate and the transition. In January this year, we published our first Net Zero Transition Plan – setting out our strategic vision and approach to net zero.
We want to make financing choices that can lead to a meaningful impact on emissions reduction in the real economy, not just in our portfolio. Achieving this requires engagement with our clients and customers on their transitions to help finance decarbonisation in the sectors and regions with the most change ahead.
We believe we can do this best by promoting change in three key areas that play to our strengths as an organisation and can help deliver a broader impact on decarbonisation in the real economy: transitioning industry, catalysing the new economy, and decarbonising trade and global supply chains.
UN SDG goals that we align with:
Legal Name: The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited