ESG Series: Seminar on how to provide “investor grade” ESG and sustainability disclosure
Over 2,000 studies have found a positive correlation between high ESG performance and positive returns. In this seminar, Ricky Cheng, Director & Head of Risk Advisory of BDO will present the key survey findings and recommendations about the annual survey on the performance of ESG reporting of Hong Kong listed companies in FY2017/18. Setting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in line with climate science is a great way to future-proof growth. Chendan Yan, Research Analyst II for the Science Based Targets Initiative, World Resources Institute Business Center and Karen Ho, Head of Corporate and Community Sustainability, WWF-Hong Kong, will discuss what actionable steps Hong Kong companies can take to provide “investor grade” ESG and sustainability disclosure.
Every listed company in Hong Kong has been required to disclose its ESG information annually since 1 January 2016. BDO Hong Kong, one of the world’s five largest accountancy networks, has conducted a desktop survey and reviewed ESG disclosures of 400 companies listed on the Main Board & GEM from indexed constituents as well as non-indexed stocks.
Sustainability “megaforces”, including climate change, energy security, resource scarcity, disparate levels of prosperity, food security and ecological decline, are changing notions of what constitutes business success. Businesses are being called on to create shared value and inclusive growth, to assess their dependencies and impacts on the range of “capitals” or resources from which they deploy to create value, and to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and account for how they do this in external corporate reports.
