HKPC Releases the 2021-2022 “Environmental, Social and Governance Report” Outlining Forward-looking and Pragmatic Strategies for Sustainable Development Through Collaboration With the Government and Industry

(Hong Kong, 24 April 2023) The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is delighted to release its latest 2021-2022 “Environmental, Social and Governance Report”, which centres on the theme of “Sustainability Never Stops”. The Report demonstrates HKPC’s relentless efforts in creating a green and smart city, serving the industry and society, and practising sustainability governance. HKPC is committed to promoting new industrialisation while simultaneously upholding sustainable development concepts, thereby benefitting the overall development of the society.

Dr Lawrence CHEUNG, Chief Innovation Officer of HKPC, said, “As a leading research institution, HKPC recognises the importance of sustainable development to society and the world and actively responds to global issues such as climate change. HKPC is dedicated to working collaboratively with the HKSAR Government and the industry to create a greener and livable smart city. In line with the HKSAR Government’s goal in achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, HKPC has set a target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, underscoring its determination to pursue sustainable development. To this end, HKPC is currently planning a low-carbon transformation roadmap and providing extensive support to the industry in various areas, including technology, talent training and funding applications. The report this year continues to adopt a forward-looking and rigorous reporting approach, outlining our sustainability achievements and progress.”

Key Highlights of HKPC’s 2021-2022 “Environmental, Social, and Governance Report”:

A Multi-pronged Approach to Promote Decarbonisation
As a key partner in the HKSAR Government’s Carbon Neutrality Partnership, HKPC is taking a pragmatic approach in formulating the relevant strategies and targets:

• Establish a Low Carbon Taskforce to initiate a low-carbon transformation roadmap towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2040
• Set medium-term targets and strategies to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and reduce carbon footprint, pledging to cut half of our carbon emissions and reduce 15% of our energy consumption by 2030
• Continuously develop and promote green technologies and drive the adoption of electric vehicles
• Be advocated for the improvement of energy efficiency and resources conservation, reducing waste through responsible operating measures, and procuring green products and services

Nurturing Talent and Caring for Employees
HKPC is committed to providing training for employees, small and medium-sized enterprises, and students, including FutureSkills training courses, and Winter and Summer InnoTalent Programmes, etc. to help enhance their competitiveness, foster career development, and encourage team spirit and a balanced lifestyle. During the reporting period, our major initiatives and works included:

• Organised 68 sessions of in-house training for employees, with over 7,600 training hours which was increased by 21.5% compared to last year
• Delivered more than 700 FutureSkills training courses with over 30,000 participants in total
• Nurtured 72 tertiary students through the Winter and Summer InnoTalent Programmes to prepare them for joining the innovation and technology industry
• Held 108 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities participated by more than 5,300 students and teachers from over 100 schools
• Organised InnoWalkathon, “Wellness March” programme, sports activities and stress-relieving workshops, etc., enhancing the well-being of employees

Practising Sustainability Governance
HKPC has incorporated sustainability into its corporate governance structure, rigorously following a standard of practice to achieve the set targets and indicators. In the reporting year, HKPC received the Directors of the Year Awards 2021 and Special Recognition of Excellence in Board Diversity, recognising HKPC’s commitment to continuous improvement in corporate governance. Key areas of focus include:

• An Environmental Management Committee was set up to initiate various environmental programmes and monitor environmental performance
• Six Hong Kong Industry Network Clusters (HK-INC) consultation sessions were organised and 92 industry consultation events were held to engage with stakeholders and understand their opinions and needs
• A Green Procurement Policy has been introduced, which mandates the purchase of environmentally preferable products and the selection of service providers which adhere to environmental principles, in accordance with the relevant environmental regulations, standards and criteria
• In the reporting year, an e-procurement system, “ePROQ”, was launched to increase end-to-end transparency of transactions, facilitate compliance monitoring and the control of spending, as well as significantly reduce paper usage, making it a more environmentally friendly alternative to the previous tendering process

For detailed information on the various initiatives undertaken by HKPC towards sustainable development, please refer to the 2021-2022 “Environmental, Social and Governance Report” by clicking here.

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HKPC’s 2021-2022 “Environmental, Social and Governance Report”