Allied Environmental Consultants Limited
        | | ENG | 繁 | 简     
Professional Insights



06 Jul 2022
 
「點碳成金」Column | How do enterprises grab new opportunities in ESG?

An increasing number of businesses are seeing the fruits of embracing ESG. How can companies foster greater business opportunities and position themselves for future growth through integrating ESG into their businesses? At the recent “第四屆財經峰會暨ESG大獎頒獎典禮”, Grace Kwok, Chairman and Executive Director of AEC Group and Founding Vice-President of GBACNA has shared her insights on the opportunities arising from ESG based on the major ESG challenges indicated in the ESG Trends to Watch for 2022 released by MSCI and her extensive experience and professional expertise in providing consulting services for enterprise clients. Discover out more from the latest piece by AEC Group, Founding Member of Greater Bay Area Carbon Neutrality Association published on Master Insight Media.

Full article (in Chinese only): https://bit.ly/3yJfmQV

27 Jun 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities (II)

Hong Kong has been bridging the East and the West for more than 100 years since it was a colony. As a Window to the West, Hong Kong can enjoy the most benefits when the tension between the East and the West increases. However, Hong Kong may lose its advantages over its naturally geopolitical status if China adopts a completely open policy to the world. A large proportion of investments in the Mainland are made through Hong Kong and many supporting services are charged in Hong Kong. 

Hong Kong’s protection of intellectual property rights could make Hong Kong an ideal centre for the application of new products to explore the market responses and commercialisation of R&D results from the Mainland. 

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 27 June. 

20 Jun 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

People often evaluate the problem of Hong Kong from the perspective of a country but not the angle of a city. Given that a country consists of urban and rural areas, people living in megacities where the living indexes are relatively high, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, are often more productive or even a dignitary from all over the country. It is difficult for those who are retired or less productive to gain a foothold in these megacities. Only countryside with a low living standard is suitable for retirement lives and this is what the idioms “returning to the land” and “returning to the hometown” mean. When Hong Kong is on par with financial centres like New York, London, and Tokyo, retiring in Hong Kong has become an impossible mission. 

 

 

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 20 June. 

13 Jun 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 10 Reduce Inequality (II)

“The Unfair Advantage”, written by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba, mentioned that we should identify our own “unequal advantages” among the five areas – financial resources, talent and insight, location and luck, education and professionalism, and status.

 

People always complained that they are not competent enough to success and their lack of confidence in appearance, gender, humble origins and age have become obstacles to their development. 

 

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 13 June.

06 Jun 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 10 Reduce Inequality

 Eliminating inequality is often regarded as equity. An experiment conducted by communists in the Soviet Union and China to eliminate inequality a hundred years ago proved that inequality not only failed to create a utopia but people also lost their motivation simultaneously. No matter how hard they work, they were offered the same reward as others. The late leader Deng Xiaoping amended the national policy to encourage the idea of “work more, earn more” and protect private property rights in 1979. This has motivated citizens for more than 40 years and made China the second-largest economy in the world.

 

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 6 June.

30 May 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 9 Industrial Innovation and Infrastructure Construction (II)

Traditional infrastructures refer to facilities such as highway, railway, bridge, tunnel, airport, port, electrical grid, water supply system and so on. The new infrastructures today are more virtualized and digitalized, such as 5G network, Internet of Things and data centres. While a digital economy is built on data, the data storage in Hong Kong has grown from 2 Zettabytes in 2011 to 41 Zettabytes today, which is 20 times of the past data storage, and it is expected to reach 181 Zettabytes in 2026. Although Hong Kong lags far behind Singapore in terms of new infrastructure development, the demand for data centres still remains strong.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 30 May.

23 May 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 9 Industrial Innovation and Infrastructure Construction

The ninth goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 9) aims to support domestic technology development, research, and innovation in developing countries. While the successful development of an innovation system is believed to be driven by its thorough management approach, the Technology Readiness Scale (TRL Scale) originated in the measurement of a technology’s readiness. It allows managers to have a good grasp of the technical applicability and provides them with the basis for budgeting decisions to prioritize subsequent investments and avoid duplication.

Biotech usually lies between TRL 1 and 3 due to its huge investment and long development time. TRL 4 to 6 refer to the stage of technology transfer in which a more practical action may be required such as clinical trial and provision of prototype. When a product enters the mass production stage, it has already reached TRL 7 to 9. Funds tend to be more willing to invest in mature technology at this stage for its stability and standardized repetitive production.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 23 May.

16 May 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth (II)

Gross domestic product (GDP) was developed 100 years ago after the First World War. It was not intended to be a measurement of a country’s productivity, but to calculate the ability and compensation amount a defeated country has to pay to the victors. Today’s GDP, however, is considered to be superficial only, as the new economy unlocked by Apple’s Steve Jobs in 2007 along with Meta, Amazon, Alibaba, and WeChat has yet to be included in the GDP calculation. It is said that the new economy accounts for 20 to 70 times of the current GDP. Therefore, the antiquated standards were yet able to reveal the actual productivity of a country.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 16 May.

09 May 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

The eighth goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development (SDG 8) aims to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all. In Hong Kong where the capitalist system is fully adopted, the relationship between supply and demand is paramount. Back in time when there was a shortage of surgical masks, engineers managing the production masks could ask for a monthly salary of $100,000 while allowing them to work for a number of manufacturers. Today, ESG has become a hot topic in the global financial market and corporates gradually thirst for ESG talents.

The existence of the internet could break the norms of working in physical office and 5-day working as a contracting mechanism may thoroughly substitute the traditional employment mechanism. Tasks could be uploaded to a cloud-based platform and job seekers to bid for the tasks. Many corporates are getting used to a hybrid working mode after the pandemic, which allows both offline and online working. While the new generation prioritizes work-life balance over the job, the 3-2-2 arrangement could be a more common working style in the future, which means three days in office, two days remote working, and two days off. The 3-2-2 working arrangement has been widely adopted in the United States.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 9 May.

02 May 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy (II)

SDG 7 can barely be achieved if the choice of energy is considered based on cleanness only and without affordability. As such, the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm announced the launch of Hydrogen Shot, an established framework and foundation for clean hydrogen deployment in American Jobs Plan. The Department of Energy has set out the “1-1-1” target which aims to have an 80% reduction from the clean hydrogen cost in 2020 to $1 per kilogram in 1 decade. International Energy Agency forecasts that the demand for hydrogen around the globe would reach 0.52 billion tonnes in 2070.

As a leading financial centre, Hong Kong could make use of its competitive advantages to support technological advancement and transformation through financing or investment. Carbon neutrality could be more than a slogan as it also brings along new business opportunities.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 2 May.

25 Apr 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

The seventh goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7) aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services. When clean energy becomes a hot topic among the industry, fossil fuels and nuclear power are often seen as “monsters” because of the damages they caused to the environment. Though photovoltaic solar, hydroelectric and wind powers are considered low-carbon, apart from geographical constraints, their cost are not affordable for every country.

In the United States, fossil fuel contributes around 50% of the total electricity supply. Given the breakthrough in the technology of cruel oil extraction in last century, a large number of fossil fuel power plants were built as they are easily transported without geographical limitation. These facilities have been in operation for a substantial period of time and the technologies are rather mature, resulting in a more reasonable and affordable price for developing countries.

Renewable energy requires double energy storage to ensure a stable supply of electricity. When considering using clean energy, affordability and economic issue should also be taken into account.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 25 April.

18 Apr 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation (II)

Poor planning of the urban drainage systems not only affects environmental and personal hygiene, but can also be a breeding ground for disease. Back to the 1700s, when London was already an international metropolis, the streets were filthy and smelly with open drains more than a foot deep stuffed with ashes, animal carcasses and even manure. Although the British applied underground piping for drainage in 1810, the situation was back to square one when cholera broke out in Europe. The packed and dirty streets became a hotbed of disease, and the cholera pandemic took about 32,000 lives in the United Kingdom.

When Qingdao was a colony of Germany more than 100 years ago, Germen had established a powerful drainage system, pioneering the concept of splitting the rainwater and sewage drainage systems. This water infrastructure is still one of the best drainage systems among the cities in China.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 18 April.

11 Apr 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for all. According to a study by the United Nations, there are still about 2 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean water, and most of them are in developing countries. In Hong Kong, people enjoy an endless supply of freshwater by just turning on the faucet with a relatively cheap water charge among the world’s countries and regions.

A report released by the Office of the Ombudsman revealed that the leakage rate of piping in Hong Kong is as high as 15.2%, which is far more serious than neighbouring areas. If the leakage rate can be reduced to around 5% as similar to Singapore, 96 million cubic metre of water supplied can be saved, which is equivalent to $0.53 billion Dongjiang Water charge.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 11 Apr.

04 Apr 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 5 Gender Equality (II)

According to a study conducted by the UN Women, nearly one-third of women aged 15 and over have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime, and unemployment and poverty caused by the new epidemic have been shown to be one of the factors that intensify the risk of violence against women.

It is often heard that women may face some forms of sexual assault or harassment in the workplace. In an attempt to prove self-attractiveness, male leaders in higher positions are likely to be involved in sex scandals in workplace, which increases the anxiety of female employees who are afraid of being retaliated, targeting, or dismissed.

However, the recent “Me Too Movement” also makes male leaders feeling worried. A survey revealed that 60% of male supervisors in the United States expressed that they tend to avoid any activities with only female colleagues, which may discourage knowledge sharing among staff members. This unexpected result of the movement triggers a heated debate on how to make a balance between the extremes.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 4 April.

28 Mar 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 5 Gender Equality

The fifth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) aims to promote gender equality and women’s rights. With the influence of the traditional mindset, women were asked to take care of families while all the roles in factories and offices were led by men. During the time of World War I, women started replacing men’s roles in factories as men were sent to war. In 1918, there were approximately one million women employed in military factories, accounting for almost two-thirds of all working women. Most of them were suffering from illness and over 400 people were died due to chemical exposure in the production of artillery bombs.

In Hong Kong, many of the middle to high-level positions are held by women. However, amongst all the local listed companies, the composition of females on the board is still a low percentage. The latest review of the corporate governance code by the HKEX also stresses gender diversity in the boardroom and that a certain gender ratio is stipulated in the formation of the board.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 28 March.

21 Mar 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 4 Quality Education (II)

People put forward the theory of “uselessness of education” once in a while, citing successful entrepreneurs who have not received higher education as proof, such as Steve Jobs from Apple, Bill Gates from Microsoft and Zuckerberg from Meta. However, these are only some one-in-a-million cases in society. A survey conducted in the United States found that the income of the highest educated group is six times higher than that of the high-school educated group, while another survey also suggested a positive correlation between income and wealth, further echoing the proverb “a book holds a house of gold”.

Books contain the wisdom of elders, which readers could digest the information and gain knowledge in a short period of time. Wisdom is considered the best means to transform the world as many successful people have learned from the great wisdom and achieved great things.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 21 March.

14 Mar 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 4 Quality Education

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Since literacy rates reflect the education level of each locality, research shows that the literacy rate worldwide is 92% for youth aged 15 to 24 and 86% for adults aged 15 and older. In view of this, China had adopted four large-scale literacy campaigns from 1949 to 1969, resulting in an illiteracy rate reduction to 6.72% in 2000. This is regarded as a miracle in the history of human culture and education.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 14 March.

07 Mar 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being (II)

One of the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) targets is to reduce the number of traffic injuries and fatalities, which is one of the common reasons causing deaths and casualties. The attitudes of drivers could be the cause for most traffic accidents, therefore automatic driving is suggested as a safer option.

Apart from that, SDG 3 also aims to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the Tobacco Control Framework Convention in all countries, as excessive smoking may increase the risk of acute COVID-19 while causing damages to the lung.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 7 March.

28 Feb 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 3 Health and Wellbeing

It is often said that healthy people tend to neglect the importance of health until they lose it and realize that fame and fortune are fleeting. The third goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development (SDG 3) is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at every stage of life. With the aim to reduce death rates of infant and child, SDG 3 also targets to eliminate AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, reduce drug abuse and traffic accidents, as well as enhancing health care and tobacco control.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 28 February.

21 Feb 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG2 Zero Hunger (II)

A recent survey conducted by the United Nations found that food waste from restaurants and stores accounts for 17% of all food waste. Adding up with those in farms and supply chains, the survey revealed that one-third of the food waste has never been eaten. Food waste induced losses not only in food but the natural and economic resources consumed as well. Education should be the first step in solving the food problem, followed by technology and financial instruments like Impact Fund.

Technologies such as Cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) could be used to monitor the growth of crops, fish, and livestock, and collect all the relevant big data for the optimal growing mode through the uses of artificial intelligence and algorithms. Proper applications of technologies also help to forecast weather, reduce food damage, and enhance food safety.

Impact Fund is a kind of financial instrument to support and enhance food production in the third world through investment. The banking services are far behind in those underdeveloped countries and farmers could hardly receive loans and investments for improving their cultivation and production skills. With the increasing uses of mobile phones and the internet, the existence of virtual banks helps the provision of loan services, which facilitate the technological transformation in food production. Impact Investment helps to end world hunger and foster sustainable development but not just solely a donation of money.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 21 February.

14 Feb 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG2 Zero Hunger

Poverty and hunger have always been the greatest concern in human livability. They are also the first and second places of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are more than 690 million people in the world suffering from hunger, 812 million people suffering from malnutrition, and more than 3 million children under the age of five died from malnutrition every year.

SDG 2 includes targets that aim to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 14 February.

07 Feb 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG1 No Poverty (II)

The definition of Least Developed Countries (LDC) was given by the United Nations in 2015, referring to countries whose GNI per capita falls below US$1,035. 33 countries in Africa, 9 countries in Asia, 9 countries in Oceania and Haiti in the Americas are defined as LDC, while none of them are from Europe.

The poverty line in Hong Kong was first laid down in 2013 and set at 50% of median monthly household income. In 2019, the poverty line for one-person and two-person households were set at HK$4,500 and HK$10,000 respectively. According to the “Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report 2020”, the poor population in Hong Kong was at a record high that the poverty rate reached 23.6%.

As the saying goes, it would be better to teach someone to fish than to give him a fish. This was proven by three Nobel Economics Prize winners in 2019. The three scholars spent 20 years on the randomized controlled trial (RCT) to enhance people’s understanding of poverty.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 7 February.

31 Jan 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG1 No Poverty

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officially announced by the United Nations in 2015, have been discussed over the years. 193 countries are determined to achieve the 17 SDGs which consist of 169 targets and 230 indicators. Today, about one-tenth of the world's population lives below the extreme poverty line. The first SDG is to end poverty in all its forms everywhere, including 5 targets and 2 indicators.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 31 January.

24 Jan 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Is it Necessary to have Profit from Carbon Neutrality?

Some may doubt carbon neutrality is just hype in the financial market, and relevant stocks will fare poorly after the puffery. The reason behind this is they cannot see any possible profit therein. However, if countries all over the world put economic growth before carbon reduction, we will have to pay the price for being reckless to the consequences bought by the high level of carbon emissions. Heading towards carbon neutrality, the green premiums we must pay is much greater than the gain, and it is definitely a loss in the perspective of business. Yet, money is not the only measure in business decision-making. The environment would be in grave danger if we do not change the way we live, and therefore, for our future generations, the profit model should not be one of our considerations.

 

Nevertheless, there are still many opportunities arising from the environmental movement of carbon neutrality, for instance, carbon storage, phase change materials, calculation of carbon footprint, green certification scheme, carbon asset management, and so on. 

 

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 24 January.

17 Jan 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – From Industrial Revolution to Carbon Neutrality

Countries have reached a consensus at the COP26 Climate Conference on limiting global warming within 1.5°C and setting an interim target by 2030, that is, a 45% reduction in global carbon emissions. The significant growth of carbon emissions can be traced back to 1750 when the first steam engine was out, which substantially contributed to the Industrial Revolution. During the time, all kinds of mines and woodland were in great demand for rapid economic growth, and over-extraction of natural resources imposed huge negative impacts on the environment.

Since 1750, the United States has emitted a cumulative total of 50.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide and it is far more than that of China and Russia. However, population size variations make no excuses when it comes to carbon reduction. China has set forth the dual carbon goals in the 14th Five-Year Plan, committing to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 through various means such as tree planting, energy conservation, and emission reduction.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 17 January.

10 Jan 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Phase Change Energy Storage Building Material

Phase Change Energy Storage Building Material has been found to be a unique material that can reduce electricity consumption while maintaining a satisfactory level of thermal comfort. It consists of the advantages of both ordinary building materials and phase change materials, which absorb and release an appropriate amount of heat energy and can be used along with other traditional building materials. Besides, it does not require special knowledge and skillsets for the installation and is able to be produced with standard production facilities. All these features make it competitive in terms of cost-effectiveness.

The solid-liquid phase change requires absorption or release of energy, and this is the stage when energy is stored. If the phase transition of a material takes place at around 20 ℃, it would then absorb the heat energy when the temperature is higher than that and release heat energy when the temperature is below the threshold. Thus, the latent heat thereof could help reduce the energy consumption of air-conditioning.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 10 January.

03 Jan 2022
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Certified Emission Reductions

Promoting carbon reduction through market means is the best method discussed by the United Nations after rounds of climate summits. Through carbon trading, corporations could sell their unused carbon quota while companies whose carbon emissions exceed the limitation could buy an additional quota or pay a penalty charge.

Besides carbon quota trading, Certified Emission Reductions (CER), a type of emissions unit issued by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board for the emission reduction achievement through CDM projects, can also be traded and used to achieve companies’ carbon reduction targets. For instance, the carbon dioxide absorbed by forests can be traded after being certified.

Since the transaction price of China Certified Emission Reductions (CCER) is generally lower than that of the carbon quota, emission control corporations tend to offset the carbon emissions by CCER, and only 5% of the quota can be offset by CCER as stipulated in the current policy.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 3 January.

27 Dec 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Green Investment

Investing in activities aligned with environmentally-friendly business practices is called green investment. Other than certification standards, a number of rating tools are also available to avoid any business greenwashing by assessing the investment value in terms of ESG or sustainable development. Commonly used tools include MSCI ESG Rating, Fitch ESG Rating, Morning Star ESG Rating, GRESB, CPD and HSI ESG Rating, etc. The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong added the Type 10 license in 2018 to regulate the credit rating activities in Hong Kong.

Green investment can also be divided into direct investment and indirect investment. Direct investment applies to the development or the relevant company. If an agent is engaged for managing your investment, it would be a kind of indirect investment.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 27 December.

20 Dec 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Differences between Green Finance and Green Investment

In terms of finance, investment refers to the “buy-side” while financing refers to the “sell-side”. No matter Green Finance or Green Investment, “green” is the key. To determine whether a development is green, there are two international assessment standards, namely the Green Bond Principles of International Capital Market Association (ICMA) and the Climate Bonds Standard of Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI).

A set of localized standards is also available in Mainland China. As overseen by the major department such as the People’s Bank of China and China Securities Regulatory Commission, the Green Bonds Standard Committee released the “Green Bond Assessment and Verification Guidelines (Provisional)” and the operation guidelines stipulating required qualifications and credentials, verification methods, and reporting requirements.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 20 December.

13 Dec 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Artificial Meat

Animal husbandry accounts for one-fifth of global carbon emissions, in which 80% of them are from cattle and sheep. Ruminant stomachs have four compartments and one of them – the rumen – consists of various microorganisms. As grass and other vegetation ferment in the rumen, it produces methane and a host of other byproducts such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The methane is then expelled by the ruminant, mainly through belching and farting.

Changing people’s eating habits is far more difficult that reducing methane from the source. There are two solutions that we can take into considerations. One is to reduce methane emissions from cattle through improvement in feed, and the other one is to replace real beef with artificial meat.

In order to seize the potential market, artificial meat has been widely used in many catering companies, such as McDonald’s and PepsiCo.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 13 December.

06 Dec 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Technology Readiness Level (TRL)

As the issue of climate change has become severe, new technologies should be in place to reduce carbon emissions and yet capitals are required to facilitate the advancement of technologies. In response to such demand, green or sustainable finance arises. How do we rate the level of technology advancement for investment? A set of standards called Technical Readiness Level (TRL) is adopted in the industry as a means of assessing technology maturity. It is originated from NASA in 1995 and has a significant impact on the scientific and technological circles in the United States and United Kingdom. TRL divides technology maturity in 9 levels which are applicable to all kinds of technologies with customized definition.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 6 December.

29 Nov 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Green – Panda, Dim Sum and Kungfu Bonds

Bonds are often named after country-representative items, such as Yankee Bond from the United States, Samurai Bond from Japan and Kangaroo Bond from Australia. China also names bonds issued in the Mainland, Hong Kong and overseas as Panda Bond, Dim Sum Bond and Kungfu Bond respectively.

Besides the place of issuance, the bonds differ in terms of the currency denominated. Since the income of the projects is calculated in RMB in China, the issue of currency exchange rate will be associated once the bond is calculated in US dollars and foreign exchange hedge would be necessary.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 29 November.

22 Nov 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – The Difference between Sustainable Finance and Green Finance

With the increasing awareness of climate change, Sustainable Finance and Green Finance have become a hot topic in the city. However, some people may find it difficult to distinguish them. Green Finance refers to all financial instruments that help improve the environmental performance through decarbonization such as projects facilitating clean energy provision, water quality improvement and product recycling, while Sustainable Finance includes both elements of environment and society, which are difficult to be managed at the same time as some social elements cannot be quantified.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 22 November.

15 Nov 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Digitalization for Sustainable Development

Digitalization for sustainable development is based on two major development trends, namely green technology and digital transformation.

Green technology tends to improve the production efficiency or optimize product effectiveness and at the same time utilize resources and energy, reduce the use and disposal of toxic substances, emphasize the importance of design for recycling and reuse, as well as reduce the pollution on the environment.

Digital transformation refers to the increase of companies’ returns through the adoption of digital technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud, big data, algorithms, 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) are technologies that companies should realize and apply in their environment protection strategies. Below are five aspects that companies may consider for such applications:
  1. Clean Energy 
  2. Smart Transportation
  3. Sustinable Land Use
  4. Smart City and Home
Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 15 November.

08 Nov 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – COP, Conference of The Parties

United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) was established in 1945 after World War II. Until now, it is made up of 193 Member States and 2 Permanent Observers. Agreement with legal binding signed between countries is called convention. In 1992, governments from various countries have reached the agreement on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), stipulating that COP should be held every year starting from 1995 to assess the progress of the response to climate change.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 8 November.

01 Nov 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – ESG Reporting Framework

ESG reporting has become one of the significant issues for listed companies. Rather than a perfunctory report once a year, ESG reports reveal sustainable development paths that companies should take into account seriously. According to the GL86-16 guidance of HKEX, listing applicants must include ESG-related matters in the business section of the prospectus, which will be reviewed as a whole. They should also consider whether the ESG matters need to be included in other parts of the prospectus.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 1 November.

25 Oct 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) refers to a carbon reduction technology that captures the carbon dioxide emitted from, for example, coal power plant and makes use of it or stores it, preventing it from releasing into the atmosphere.

Nowadays, there are three types of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies which help lower the greenhouse gas emissions from thermal power plants and factories. They are pre-combustion, post-combustion and oxyfuel CCS technologies.

Fossil fuels are now the most stable and inexpensive energy resources after all. However, we could buy time for exploiting clean energy through adoption of CCS technologies.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 25 October.

18 Oct 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Green Finance – Clean Energy

The molten salt tower concentrated solar power station was recently put into production in Dunhuang, China. The power station concentrates sunlight to activate the molten salt deep down below the earth’s surface and generate electricity from thermal energy. To ensure the continuous operation of the station, thermal storage system is in use to provide energy for electricity generation at night. With its high-power generation rate, the concentrated solar power (CSP) is considered as an emerging energy application technology with the potential of being the base load power source.

Although adopting CSP would induce extra costs which we call the green premium, an additional cost of using clean energy over those with higher greenhouse gas emissions, some rural areas in Africa and Asia may have a faster adoption of clean energy than other developed countries due to the unstable power supply caused by poor infrastructure. Fossil fuels are no longer the best option for its cost and impact to the environment while clean energy would be the most ideal option for building the power source in developing countries.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 18 October.

11 Oct 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Carbon Emissions – Clean Energy

People may not realize a temperature drop of two or three degrees Celsius. For the earth, a drop in temperature will wipe out many plants and animals. Back to the Mesozoic Era, the average temperature of the earth was about 4 degrees Celsius higher than it is now and the Arctic Circle was where crocodiles lived. However, the earth’s average temperature was 6 degrees Celsius lower than it is now during the Ice Ages.

The year 1850 was the turning point of our globe. Huge amount of fossil fuels was used for electricity generation. Today, almost 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases are released to the atmosphere every year, making the earth temperature increase by 1.3 degrees Celsius. Such temperature increase will possibly lead to extinction of many species.

Adoption of clean energy will become inevitable as a replacement of fossil fuels in tackling the issue, but the stability of renewable energy is dependent on weather and extra cost is required for securing the power supply. Therefore, investment in battery and transmission grid will be of significance in our way to get rid of fossil fuels.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 11 October.

04 Oct 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – The Difference between

The difference between “zero emissions” and “carbon neutrality” is that the former refers to activities with zero carbon emissions such as electricity generated from renewable energy while the latter focuses on the calculation of the total carbon emissions which can be offset by other green initiatives.

For instance, an oil company generates over 100 million tons of carbon during the refining process but the company can at the same time build a rainforest that absorbs 100 million tons of carbon dioxide, which can offset and neutralize the carbon emissions. It does not matter if the place of oil production is thousands of miles away from the rainforest. As long as the carbon offset amount is verified by certified experts and bodies, this refining process can be defined as carbon neutral. Moreover, if carbon footprint is low enough that carbon emission credits are still available after the carbon offset, that is, “negative carbon emissions”, the excessive carbon rights can be sold to companies that fail to meet the standards.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 4 October.

27 Sep 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – ESG Indexes

As society has attached more importance to sustainable development, the performance of listed companies in ESG has become one of the investment considerations of many investors. International indexes and rating agencies, such as MSCI, FTSE Russell, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC as well as Hang Seng Index Company, have graded the ESG performance of international listed companies and set up specific ESG theme indexes, in order to track the ESG performance of shares.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 27 September.

20 Sep 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Green Finance

As the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change persist, people are now paying more attention to environmental issues. Economic incentives such as green finance can motivate companies to support the Paris Agreement and other green goals. Once a company can prove that its business nature, any project or potential source of revenue is green in essence, it will be easier to adopt green loans and enjoy a lower interest rate.

Currently, various local and international green bond frameworks can be used to assess a green project or business. Once certain standards are met, financial institutions or investors can lend and invest in these green projects.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 20 September.

13 Sep 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Social Aspect of ESG from the Employee’s Perspective

As the core of an enterprise, employees not only play a key role in the daily production and operations of a business, but also create and share corporate culture, value and interests. As compared with other counterparts in the world, Hong Kong employees are more patient and considerate, and will only go on strike as a last resort. In fact, the productivity of an enterprise is closely related to employee satisfaction, and is mainly influenced by two factors, namely, human capital cost and production efficiency. Human capital cost refers to employee salary expenses, and is a necessary cost in the process of enterprise operation.

The production efficiency of an enterprise is closely related to employee productivity. The most common standard used worldwide to measure productivity is Return on Investment (ROI), which evaluates the efficiency of human resources utilization. As employees normally tend to seek profitability, employee satisfaction directly affects their enthusiasm at work and determines the overall quality of a company’s workforce.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 13 September.

06 Sep 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Green Finance Alliance

Hong Kong is committed to developing green finance, in response to raising awareness of climate and environmental issues, and has achieved remarkable results.

Collaborated by Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA), the Green Finance Committee of Guangdong Society for Finance and Banking (GDGFC), the Green Finance Committee of Financial Society of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SZGFC) and the Macau Association of Banks, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Green Finance Alliance aims to promote research and incubate green investments that will benefit the Greater Bay Area (GBA), by leveraging the vast green investment demand in Guangdong and green finance capacities in Hong Kong and Macau.

One of the projects led by Hong Kong is “Carbon Connect”, which aims to establish a standardized carbon marketplace for cross-border trading covering the GBA and put investors interested in carbon trading on the same platform by connecting domestic and overseas carbon market trading channels. “Carbon Connect” allows global investors to enter China’s carbon market more conveniently via the GBA. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s well-established financial infrastructure can serve as a trading centre for the “Carbon Connect”.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 6 September.

30 Aug 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – How FinTech is Interrelated with ESG

When it comes to sustainable development, we must first learn to innovate, which does not necessarily break the old and create something new – sometimes, every small change we make can lead us to success. With the lightning speed of technological evolution, Financial Technology, or FinTech in short, has brought significant impact on ESG.

Fintech ABCD refers to AI, Blockchain, Cloud Computing and Big data, and it unleashes the potential of ESG and helps enterprises formulate development directions and enhance their competitiveness in the market.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 30 August.

23 Aug 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Professional Training in Fintech and ESG

The Financial Services Development Council has recently released a research report titled “Careers of Tomorrow: Financial Talents in the Digital, Sustainable Economy of Hong Kong”. In order to enrich our financial talent pool in Hong Kong, the report sets out several recommendations, such as introducing ESG courses as compulsory learning in finance-related disciplines; and expanding CEF reimbursable courses to cover more professional training in Fintech and ESG. The report highlights the importance of ESG and FinTech talents in the coming future, especially when it comes to achieving our shared goal of carbon neutrality.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 23 August.

16 Aug 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Roles and Responsibilities of Board of Directors and its Various Committees

The board of directors of a listed company play a vital role when it comes to decision making and target setting. Although the board is ultimately accountable for the operation of the company, it may be beneficial for the board to delegate authority to its committees, namely Nomination Committee, Audit Committee, Risk Management Committee and Remuneration Committee, to deal with certain major matters to maintain high standards of corporate governance throughout the company.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 16 August.

09 Aug 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Green Bond Alliance

It is believed that green bonds will become the mainstream of sustainable development in the future. At the time when the first green bond was issued in 2007, there weren’t any standardized criteria in the market. But then in 2014, International Capital Market Association (ICMA) and Climate Bond Initiative (CBI) established green bond principles respectively, which helped make the green bond market grow sustainably.

In Hong Kong, green finance products were only certified by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency’s Green Finance Certification Scheme in the past. But now reports prepared by CBI’s approved verifiers are also accepted by Hong Kong Monetary Authority. This helps drive the development of green bonds locally.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 9 August.

02 Aug 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Community-led Carbon Trading Platform

Everyone could play a part in reducing carbon emissions in daily lives. From shopping to eating, opportunities are everywhere for us to achieve our shared goal to net zero.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 2 August.

27 Jul 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Global State of Carbon Emissions

Despite the shared vision to advance net zero worldwide, the differences in ideology between the East and the West have shaped the current state of carbon emissions around the world.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 26 July.

19 Jul 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – ESG and Sovereign-wealth Funds

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, global asset management institutions have paid unprecedented attention to ESG and climate change. It is said that the proportion of these institutions adopting ESG policies at the organizational structure level has risen sharply, with sovereign-wealth funds rising from 46% to 64%, and central banks rising from 11% to 38%. Meanwhile, when it comes to green investment, China has the most complete and low-cost new energy vehicle and photovoltaic industry chain, and is in a leading position in the world.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 19 July.

12 Jul 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – How ESG Changed the Way Companies Run their Business

With the dominance of ESG in today’s environment, the priorities of companies have shifted from shareholders’ profits to the society, followed by customers and employees. Failure to meet their expectations may lead to negative consequences.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 12 July.

05 Jul 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – ESG Message behind Spirited Away, a Famous Japanese Animation

People easily lose track of own intentions when they stay too long in their comfort zones. Businesses are no exception – some of them tend to excessively focus on profits in today’s increasingly competitive market. In doing so, social responsibility is often neglected – however, some real-life examples teach us that it is not the best way to operate and sustain a business. Even in movies like Spirited Away, an Oscar-winning Japanese animated fantasy film released in 2001, there are multiple scenes that keep reminding us of the importance of ESG.

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 5 July.

29 Jun 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Keeping Employees at the Centre of ESG

In today’s era, companies cannot afford the consequences of the failure of ESG transformation. To ensure favorable outcomes, companies should put more emphasis on their employees – after all, staff members act as a bridge with other stakeholders, from suppliers, customers to the community. They also play a vital role when it comes to shaping a sustainable future for businesses – so what are the employee-centric tips for successful ESG transformation?

Learn more from the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, published on Sing Pao on 28 June.

21 Jun 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Implications of Green Leakage and Carbon Border Tax

Earlier this month, the Group of Seven leaders (G7 leaders) pledged to work together to tackle carbon leakage as European Union is planning to introduce a carbon border tax to impose carbon emission costs on imports of certain polluting goods. This proposal has stirred up quite a lot of heated discussion around the world.

Read the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today (21 June).

15 Jun 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column – Impact Investment

In recent years, more and more investors are looking for not only financial returns but also positive outcomes to address social issues – this is what we call Impact Investment.

Read the full article (in Chinese only) written by Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao yesterday (14 June).

07 Jun 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - The Governance of Independent Non-executive Directors

On 16 April, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) published a consultation paper and is seeking comments on proposals to enhance Corporate Governance Code, and one of the key proposals is about “board independence, refreshment and succession planning”. How important is the role of an Independent Non-executive Director (INED) when it comes to upholding corporate governance of a listed company?

Click here to read the full article (Chinese only) written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today (7 June 2021).

31 May 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Should Listed Companies Buy Bitcoins?

What is the impact of buying and selling cryptocurrency on a company's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance? And what is the difference between cryptocurrency and legal tender?

Click here to read the full article (Chinese only) written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today (31 May 2021).

25 May 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Business Related to Green Bond Issuance

Green finance blooms as the number of green bonds issued by Hong Kong issuers last year hit a record high and low-carbon construction is the largest investment field, accounting for 36% of the annual issuance.

Click here to read the full article (Chinese only) written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao yesterday (24 May 2021).

17 May 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - ESG vs. Gig Economy

Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Goal 1: No Poverty and Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth could be driven by full employment, a situation where all available labor resources are being used in the most efficient way possible. Is Gig Economy – a free market system in which temporary positions are common and organizations hire independent workers for short-term commitments – bringing us into or taking us further away from the SDGs?

Click here to read the full article (Chinese only) written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today (17 May 2021).

04 May 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Carbon Credits

The carbon credit trading market is booming worldwide, including Mainland China which is heading toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. Read more about carbon credits from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao yesterday.

Online Column (Chinese only): https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=63

26 Apr 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Carbon Emissions - Clean Energy

It is imperative that decarbonization is implemented all around the world, and clean energy is gradually replacing traditional energy. Read more about carbon emissions from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today.

Online Column (Chinese only): https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=64

19 Apr 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Green Premium

What is Green Premium? “Moving our immense energy economy from “dirty,” carbon-emitting technologies to ones with zero emissions will cost something. These additional costs are what I call Green Premium,” said Bill Gates.

Read more about green premium from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today.
Online Column (Chinese only): https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=65

12 Apr 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Evolution History of ESG Investment

As the times change, it turns out that ESG has different names in different eras! Read more about ESG from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today.

Online Column (Chinese only): https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=66&lang=tc

07 Apr 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Employee Satisfaction

When it comes to the enhancement of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, many corporates would focus more on the development of the environmental aspect. But in fact, the social aspect is also a component that should not be neglected – after all, the satisfaction of employees attaches great importance to the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability.

Read more about ESG from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao this Monday (5 April).

Online Column (Chinese only): https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=67

31 Mar 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - MSCI ESG Rating

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investment has gradually become the key strategy in the international capital market. It is crucial for investors to have a fair and open ESG rating tool to fully grasp the ESG performance of a company.

Read more about the MSCI ESG rating from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao this Monday (29 March).

Online Column (Chinese only): https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=69

24 Mar 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - The ESG Journey in China

The policies rolled out in the Two Sessions meetings held earlier this month will bring about implications on ESG in the coming year. Read more about the ESG trends in China from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao this Monday (22 March).

Online Column (Chinese only): https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=68

15 Mar 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column – TCFD

HKEX suggests listed companies in Hong Kong to provide decision-useful reports for investors, in which they could take Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations for reference. In fact, Financial Stability Board (FSB) has formally launched the TCFD Recommendations in early years, hoping to assist companies in disclosing financial information related to climate strategies and risk management, so as to help investors, lenders and insurance companies understand the material risks. Read more about TCFD from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today.

Online Column (Chinese only):  https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=70

09 Mar 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - ESG ETF

While the ESG concept is getting prevalent the investment market, 76% of the investment managers have signed the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), bringing the assets available for ESG investment to US$86 trillion and more than 70% of the banks believe that customers’ demand for ESG will continue. Incorporating ESG concepts into business models is believed to become an essential element for the future development of corporates!

Read more about ESG fund from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao yesterday.Online Column (Chinese only): https://esg.asecg.com/articles4.php?serial=71

02 Mar 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Social Responsibility under ESG

Many corporates devote significant resources to the “Environment” aspect when formulating the ESG strategies. However, the “Social” aspect is also a force to be reckoned with and mishandling the social issues could cause PR Crises. How important is the “S” in ESG and how it relates to corporate governance? Read more about the social responsibility from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao yesterday.

Online Column:
https://bit.ly/3bPVy1P

22 Feb 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) requires large-sized companies to disclose carbon emissions information every year. However, do you ever know that you could actually participate in the disclosure process? Read more about CDP from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today.

In fact, AEC Group has become the first CDP accredited climate change consultancy provider from Hong Kong since last year by providing sustainability strategy development and ESG advisory services to assist companies from diverse industries to improve their ESG disclosure and help tackle climate-related risks.

Online Column: https://bit.ly/3aHjcOx

08 Feb 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - ESG Governance

Boards have a vital role to play when it comes to ESG governance, but how could they ensure effective implementation of ESG initiatives? Read more about the 7 steps to ESG governance from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today.

Online Column:
https://bit.ly/3aZ9Vk7

01 Feb 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column – GRESB

GRESB, the ESG benchmark for real assets worldwide, has been gaining popularity and is now covering more than 1,200 organizations including developers and real estate investment trusts (REITs) across the globe – which represent US $5.3 trillion in real asset value.

 

What makes GRESB a rising star in the capital market, and how does it work? Read more from a column written by Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, on Sing Pao today.

 

Online Column:
https://bit.ly/3r9kCGX

25 Jan 2021
 
Dr. Kenny Siu's Sharing on Sing Pao Column - Sustainability-linked Bonds

 Dr. Kenny Siu, Senior Advisor of AEC Group, shared his insights into sustainability-linked bonds on Sing Pao column on 25 January 2021. Kenny mentioned that sustainability-linked bonds are a great incentive for corporates as they not only issue bonds with lower interest rates, but also make other funds aware and effectively promote sustainability-linked bonds to the general public. In addition, Kenny also shared more about the four major Sustainability-linked Loans Principles.



Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | © 2024 Allied Environmental Consultants Limited. All rights reserved

|   ENG | 繁 | 简  
|   ENG | 繁 | 简