Inaugural Forum Highlight - HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute

The Inaugural ESG Forum and The Opening Ceremony of HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute

Speakers

Professor Xiang ZHANG, JP

President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Hong Kong

Mr. Chin-wan TSE, BBS, JP

Secretary for Environment and Ecology, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Professor Guojun HE

Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute

Professor Roni MICHAELY

Co-Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute

Dr. Erik BERGLÖF

Chief Economist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Professor Jun MA

Professor of Practice, HKU Business School; Chairman and President, Hong Kong Green Finance Association

Mr. Michael DUIGNAN

Executive Director (Corporate Finance), Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)

Mr. Sabino Fornies-Martinez

Minister Counsellor, Economic and Financial Affairs Section, EU Delegation Beijing

Mr. Kenneth HUI

Executive Director (External), Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Dr. Bing LENG

Member, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)

Dr. Weihua MA

Member of UNDP SDG Impact Steering Group; Chairman, National fund for Technology Transfer and Commercialization (NFTTC); Former Executive Director, President and CEO, China Merchants Bank

Dr. Mingchun SUN

Vice Chairman, Chinese Financial Association of Hong Kong

Mr. Kam-sing WONG, GBS, JP

Former Secretary for the Environment, HKSAR; Distinguished Department of Architecture Fellow, The University of Hong Kong

Mr. Guneet BANGA

Executive Director, The Caravel Group

Mr. Alexander BENT

Co-founder and Managing Partner, Undivided Ventures

Ms. Irene Chu

Partner, Head of New Economy, Head of Life Science Hong Kong, ESG Advisory, KPMG China

Ms. Noa Olenik

Co-founder and Chief of Sustainability, Rewind

Professor David BISHOP

Associate Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute

Mr. Aldous CHIU

Executive Manager of Charities (Data Analytics and Integrated Reporting), The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Dr. Kevin FRANKLIN

Chief Growth Officer, LRQA

Ms. Bonnie SO

CEO/Secretary General, Hong Kong Red Cross

Ms. Nicole WONG

Chief Executive Officer, WWF-Hong Kong

Professor Chen LIN

Chair of Finance, HKU Business School

Professor Tse-Chun LIN

Area Head of Finance, HKU Business School

Professor Michael He JIA

Deputy Area Head of Marketing
Associate Professor, HKU Business School

Professor Bonnie Hayden CHENG

Associate Professor of Management and Strategy, HKU Business School

Professor Dunhong JIN

Assistant Professor of Finance, HKU Business School

Professor Maxime COUVERT

Assistant Professor of Finance, HKU Business School

Programme Rundown

8:30 am	Registration
9:00 am	Introduction by Master of Ceremonies
9:05 am	Welcoming Remarks Professor Xiang ZHANG, JP, President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Hong Kong
9:10 am	Keynote Speech Mr. Chin-wan TSE, BBS, JP, Secretary for Environment and Ecology, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
9:20 am	Group Photo
9:23 am	Introduction of the Institute: Missions, Initiatives, and Research Team Professor Guojun HE, Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute Professor Roni MICHAELY, Co-Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute
9:40 am	Distinguished ESG Lecture Dr. Erik BERGLÖF, Chief Economist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
10:25 am	Break
10:40 am	Panel Session 1 – Regulatory Framework for Green Finance and Sustainability Disclosure Moderator: Professor Jun MA, Professor of Practice, HKU Business School; Chairman and President, Hong Kong Green Finance Association Panellists: Mr. Michael DUIGNAN, Executive Director (Corporate Finance), Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Mr. Sabino FORNIES-MARTINEZ, Minister Counsellor, Economic and Financial Affairs Section, EU Delegation Beijing Mr. Kenneth HUI, Executive Director (External), Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Dr. Bing LENG, Member, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)
11:40 am	End of AM session
1:15 pm	Registration for PM Session
1:30 pm	Panel Session 2 – Pathways towards Carbon Neutrality (Medium of instruction is Putonghua. English simultaneous interpretation service is available.) Moderator: Professor Guojun HE, Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute Panellists: Dr. Weihua MA, Member of UNDP SDG Impact Steering Group; Chairman, National fund for Technology Transfer and Commercialization (NFTTC); Former Executive Director, President and CEO, China Merchants Bank Dr. Mingchun SUN, Vice Chairman, Chinese Financial Association of Hong Kong Ms. Xiaoshu WANG, Head of APAC ESG & Climate Research, MSCI Mr. Kam-sing WONG, GBS, JP, Former Secretary for the Environment, HKSAR; Distinguished Department of Architecture Fellow, The University of Hong Kong
2:30 pm	Panel Session 3 – Opportunities in Mitigation and Adaptation to Sustainability Risk Moderator: Professor Roni MICHAELY, Co-Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute Panellists: Mr. Guneet BANGA, Executive Director, The Caravel Group Mr. Alexander BENT, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Undivided Ventures Ms. Irene CHU, Partner, Head of New Economy, Head of Life Science Hong Kong, ESG Advisory, KPMG China Ms. Noa Olenik, Co-founder and Chief of Sustainability, Rewind
3:30 pm	Break
3:50 pm	Panel Session 4 – Pathways towards Social Advancement Moderator: Professor David BISHOP, Associate Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute Panellists: Mr. Aldous CHIU, Executive Manager of Charities (Data Analytics and Integrated Reporting), The Hong Kong Jockey Club Dr. Kevin FRANKLIN, Chief Growth Officer, LRQA Ms. Bonnie SO, CEO/Secretary General, Hong Kong Red Cross Ms. Nicole WONG, Chief Executive Officer, WWF-Hong Kong
4:50 pm	Presentations by leading ESG scholars at HKU Business School *Environment* Professor Chen LIN – Climate Change and Public Health in Developing Economies: What Do We Know and What Can We Do about It? Professor Tse-Chun LIN – Do Gamified Social Interactions on a Green Fintech App Nudge Users’ Green Investments? Professor Michael He JIA – Easy-to-Implement Interventions for Mitigating Food Waste Social Professor Bonnie Hayden CHENG – The Return on Kindness: Amplifying the S of ESG with Kind Leadership Governance Professor Dunhong JIN – Making Sure Your Vote Does Not Count: Green Activism and Insincere Proxy Voting Professor Maxime COUVERT – Institutional Investors’ ESG Preferences Professor Roni MICHAELY – Can Executive Pay Improve Firms’ Environmental and Social Behavior? Action Professor Guojun HE – Actionable ESG
5:25 pm	Closing Remarks Professor Roni MICHAELY, Co-Director, HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute
5:30 pm	End of Event

Event Highlights

The HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute (Research Institute), established by The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, was officially launched on 5 June with an inaugural forum to foster dialogue and collaboration on the best practices and innovative solutions to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) challenges.

The forum brought together a diverse audience of academics, regulators, and leaders of international corporates and NGOs from across the globe, with almost 300 people in attendance.

Professor Xiang ZHANG, JP

Professor Xiang ZHANG, JP, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong, in his welcoming remarks, said, “There is a special meaning in launching the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute and holding the Inaugural ESG forum of the Institute on World Environment Day, as we are in the midst of environmental issues and climate change. This is a complex problem and no single discipline can solve this multifaceted challenge alone. So it is vital for this Institute to study and research the multi-dimensional aspects of industries like business and academia we find ourselves in.”

Mr. Chin-wan TSE, BBS, JP

“Successful implementation of the decarbonization strategies requires the active participation of all stakeholders.” Mr. Chin-wan TSE, BBS, JP, Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in his keynote speech, said. “Apart from developing best practices and innovative solutions to the ESG challenges through the conduct of interdisciplinary research, the Institute could provide a capacity building platform to promote knowledge exchange, and to cultivate sustainability leaders.”

Professor Guojun HE

Professor Guojun HE, Director of the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute, introduced the Institute’s mission and key initiatives at the forum. He said, “The Institute emphasizes on three core aspects: Research, Engagement and Education. With an aim of fostering a multidisciplinary approach to ESG research with distinguished scholars from diverse fields, the Institute also focuses on facilitating dialogues and forging partnerships, as well as equipping the next generation of ESG professionals and leaders with the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable growth.”

Professor Roni MICHAELY

Professor Roni MICHAELY, Co-Director of HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute, added, “What we are doing here today is trying to push the society, either investors or corporates, towards responsible leadership, with the legal impact that may have globally. I believe we can create an ESG institute that is going to be not only the leader in Asia, but actually one of the leading institutes in the world.”

Dr. Erik BERGLÖF

The Forum commenced with an ESG lecture by Dr. Erik BERGLÖF, Chief Economist of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, titled “Governing the Net Zero Transition: Country Platforms and The Role of MDBs (Multilateral Development Banks)”, followed by four in-depth panel discussions focusing on key aspects of ESG. During the morning panel session, titled “Regulatory Framework for Green Finance and Sustainability Disclosure”, the speakers shared valuable insights on enhancing regulatory compliance and transparency to drive companies to adopt more sustainable business practices.

In the afternoon, speakers at the session “Pathways towards Carbon Neutrality” explored the role of governments and corporations in developing solutions such as emissions reduction technologies, renewable energy and carbon trading, that can contribute to realising carbon neutrality and promoting sustainable development. Also, business leaders discussed the latest trends and practices in ESG investing on the topic of “Opportunities in Mitigation and Adaptation to Sustainability Risk”, exploring how ESG investing creates value and contributes to long-term performance. In the final session, “Pathways towards Social Advancement”, NGO representatives shared about their roles and initiatives in supporting corporations in terms of social responsibility and social impact, and promoting social justice and sustainable development through ESG practices. Before closing, leading scholars at the HKU Business School presented the latest research findings on a number of key issues in ESG.

The newly-launched Research Institute aspires to establish a world-class hub for ESG best practices for Hong Kong, Asia and beyond. Bringing together distinguished global scholars from diverse fields, the Research Institute aims to foster a multidisciplinary approach to ESG research and training, creating meaningful and lasting impact through pioneering studies, actionable insights, ESG index development, start-up incubation and transformative projects.

The launch of the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute marks an important step forward in Hong Kong’s sustainability journey. “Congratulations on the establishment of the Research Institute, which highlights HKU Business School’s pivotal role in cultivating a future defined by sustainable growth. I look forward to the meaningful and lasting impacts the Institute will bring to the continued advancement of social and business domains,” Professor Hongbin CAI, Dean and Chair of Economics of HKU Business School said.

The forum replay available here.