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Net Zero & Nature Positive Theatre (Keynote)

Sustainable Horizons: Hong Kong’s Progress on the Road to Net Zero

Day 1 : 10:00 – 10:55

Full Programme
Net Zero & Nature Positive Theatre (Keynote)

Facing climate change, pollution, and resource depletion, global efforts to enforce environmental regulations are driving businesses toward sustainability and compliance, while fostering social responsibility. Central to this movement is the shift towards net-zero emissions, a transformation that goes beyond meeting regulatory demands to fundamentally changing business operations for long-term sustainability.

This session will bring together esteemed leaders as we explore the impacts and opportunities of these changes. Offering insightful discussions and expert guidance, the conference aims to equip businesses with the tools to thrive in this changing landscape, highlighting the role of regulatory changes in driving a sustainable, resilient future for Hong Kong’s business sector.

Learnings

  • How are some of Hong Kong’s most complex organisations working to engage internal and external ecosystems to navigate climate action across multiple industries and geographies?
  • What systemic changes and partnerships are needed to help us execute climate commitments, and turn transition risks to opportunities?
  • How can we work together to tackle challenges, while maintaining growth ambitions and shareholder value creation?
  • How can leadership companies leverage innovation to inspire ambition and drive solutions to reduce our carbon footprint over the next five to ten years? What are our biggest barriers?
  • What impact are businesses feeling with new regulations being enforced?

Post-event Actions

  • Gain insights on leading organisations’ carbon reduction approaches and cross-industry solutions.
  • Rethink actions that your company and industry should focus on over the next ten years to turn risks into leadership opportunities, and make meaningful impact at the scale needed to address today’s most pressing climate challenges.
  • Understand why business leaders have a compelling and common interest to work along each other and ensure the transformation of every aspect of industry to contribute to a net-zero economy by 2050

Speakers

Dr Margaret Burnett

Centre for Civil Society and Governance, The University of Hong Kong

Programme Director

Currently the Programme Director for the Master of Social Science in Sustainability Leadership and Governance, in the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at the University of Hong Kong. Margaret has developed this Master programme to enhance learning, grow deeper understanding, and enable professionals to implement sustainability initiatives across all roles. Empowering both students and clients to integrate sustainability into personal and core organizational decision-making processes as this is time critical and, the focus the programme. She is often a guest speaker, and partners with organizations to provide support to their in-house sustainability strategies, currently through the lens of climate change related factors, and mechanisms for greater stakeholder engagement.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

For leaders, at all levels, to put into action significant changes to their operating environment given the tools at their disposal, and a greater level of authentic collaboration that truly seeks human-centric solutions. Let’s be on the right side of the climate change battle!

Speaking at:

Day 1

Sustainable Horizons: Hong Kong’s Progress on the Road to Net Zero

Day 2

Integrating the STEAM Model for the Next Generations of Sustainability Practitioners

Erdal Elver

Siemens Limited

President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan

Mr. Erdal Elver currently serves as President & CEO of Siemens Limited, leading the overall strategy in the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization and delivering sustainable solutions for infrastructure and industry in Hong Kong and Macao.

Mr. Elver first joined Siemens in 1984. Besides his current position in Hong Kong and Macao, he has also served as the President and CEO of Siemens Taiwan and Siemens Vietnam, in addition to holding various senior management roles in Germany and China. With over 35 years of experience in the engineering and manufacturing industry, he has been at the forefront of leading the company as a trusted technological partner, driving sustainable solutions in the field of smart infrastructure and industry. He received his Master’s Degree on Computer Science from Technical University of Munich, Germany.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

– CO2 Emission Reduction: With our DEGREE sustainability framework, Siemens is on track to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, aiming for a 55% reduction by 2025 and 90% by 2030. Since 2019, Siemens has already achieved a notable 50% reduction, highlighting its commitment to a sustainable future.
– Scope 3 Emissions: By offering solutions like SiGREEN software and Siemens EcoTech while leveraging technologies such as digital twins and AI, Siemens empowers their customers in adopting sustainable practices. In fiscal year 2023, these efforts led to a reduction of 190 million tons of CO2, demonstrating a substantial positive impact.
– Resource Efficiency: Committed to minimizing environmental impact, Siemens plans to reduce landfill waste by 50% by 2025 and achieve zero landfill waste by 2030. This reflects its dedication to resource efficiency and sustainable practices.

Speaking at:

Day 1

Sustainable Horizons: Hong Kong’s Progress on the Road to Net Zero

Mark Harper

Swire Pacific

Group Head of Sustainability

Mr Mark Harper has worked for around 20 years in the field of corporate sustainability. As Group Head of Sustainability at Swire, Mr Harper is responsible for managing the Group Sustainable Development Office, and leading on the design, execution and performance monitoring of the global corporate sustainability strategy for the Swire Group. As well as, acting as the lead change agent in driving improved sustainability performance and best practices, with a view to further embedding sustainability into overall business strategy for Swire.

Prior to taking up the Group Head of Sustainability role, Mr Harper had worked at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd. for over seven years, where he was responsible for managing the Group’s ESG disclosures as well as advising operating companies on their own ESG submissions. In addition to his work on ESG ratings, Mr Harper was also responsible for advising the Group on policy and strategy development, particularly in the areas of climate resilience, biodiversity and sustainable waste management. He also sits on the Board of Business Environment Council, the Executive Committee of the Drink Without Waste working group and is Chair of the ESG Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

Mr Harper has extensive experience of ESG disclosure standards such as GRI and the Hong Kong Exchange ESG Reporting Guide, as well as conducting sector focused benchmarking studies, corporate environmental management, as well as organising hands-on corporate citizenship and CSR training programmes.

Before joining John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd., Mr Harper worked in a number of senior management roles at high profile NGOs including the Earthwatch Institute, Fauna & Flora International, China Water Risk, and Business Environment Council, where he was responsible for managing the organisations advisory services on ESG reporting and corporate sustainability strategy development.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024

  • Rollout of the Group’s Net Zero Carbon emissions and zero to landfill commitments.
  • Finalising the Group’s climate risk assessment process and analysis.

Speaking at:

Day 1

Sustainable Horizons: Hong Kong’s Progress on the Road to Net Zero

Wilson Kwong

HACTL

Chief Executive

Wilson Kwong joined the Jardine Matheson Group in 1998, and has since held a variety of senior management positions in its aviation, real estate development, property management and engineering businesses. He eventually took up his Hactl post in 2018.

Since joining Hactl – Hong Kong’s largest independent air cargo handler – Wilson has strengthened its service portfolio and renewed its focuses on digitisation, innovation, compliance and sustainability. The company’s Sustainability Strategy Framework embraces all aspects of its business, and informs every of its decision and action. Hactl now publishes an annual Sustainability Report, which catalogues the company’s considerable achievements and encourages others to follow suit.

For Hactl, sustainability goes well beyond climate change mitigation measures alone, it also means caring for its workforce and community through measures such as refurbishment to offices; expansion of leisure facilities; provision of free massages employing visually-impaired masseurs and masseuses; advocating for menstrual equity and gender equality; enhancement of training and development programmes and facilities; educating staff on the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals; and introduction of additional policies to foster workplace equality and inclusivity.

Wilson is Chairman of the Employers’ Federation of Hong Kong, Chairman of the Shipping and Transport Committee and a member of the General Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. He is a Member of the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council, the Land and Development Advisory Committee, the Tripartite Taskforce on Manpower Training (Aviation) and the HKTDC Logistics Services Advisory Committee respectively; a Council Member of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, a Board Member of GS1 Hong Kong and an Advisory Committee Member of the Asian Institute of Supply Chains and Logistics. Wilson is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Hong Kong Institute of Directors, as well as a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Speaking at:

Day 1

Sustainable Horizons: Hong Kong’s Progress on the Road to Net Zero

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