Quality Alchemist (品質煉金術師): HKSQ x SGS Webinar on Understanding ESG in Multifaceted Views

HKSQ and SGS organized Webinar named “Understanding Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in Multifaceted Views” on 26^th April 2024. SGS is the HKSQ corporate member and collaborated this webinar to realize what ESG is and its latest trends in multifaceted views. The guest speaker was Ms. Zonta Yung (Project Manager, Sustainability – Business Assurance, SGS). She would introduce what is ESG, its megatrend and common topics with relevant international standards.

In the beginning, Ms. Zonta Yung introduced the definition of EGS that Environmental criteria consider companies; performance as a steward of nature. Social criteria related to employees, suppliers, customers and the communities during their operation. Governance deals with a company’s leadership, executive, internal control and shareholder rights.

And then she compared among ESG, CSR and Sustainability that ESG focused on operation, CSR focused on social related activities, as well as, Sustainability focused on strategic long-term balance.

After that Ms. Yung briefed the trends & drivers of ESG in government, regulator and market. She also compared different regions and countries’ carbon-related target. HKSAR, Taiwan China set carbon neutral by 2050. USA and EU also set carbon neural by 2050. China set it by 2060. ASEAN only targeted to reach 23% renewable energy by 2025.

Ms. Yung then shared the ESG disclosure level of the different regions/countries’ regulatory bodies that HKSAR, Japan, EU, Singapore and Indonesia are mandatory. Others are voluntary disclosure in different level. She also introduced an international group of institutional investors developed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) to advocate ESG investment.

Finally, the megatrend and six emerging themes of ESG policies across ASEAN were discussed that included green taxonomies, climate reporting, carbon pricing schemes, corporate ESG disclosures, ESG fund requirements and supply chain due diligence & transparency.