CARBON STRATEGIES.The issue of Climate Change has risen from a marginal to a key business issue. BEC offers tailor-made carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) strategies, programs and tools for your company to calculate, set and meet emission targets. We follow the widely-used Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) - Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard - for your company to quantify, manage and reduce the footprint it creates.

CSR CHECK.How does your organization measure up against best environmental and social practice? BEC can analyze your operations with a view to optimize the practices already in place, identify gaps and recommend ways to strengthen your business advantage. Our comprehensive reviews address all key environmental and social concerns through rigorous site and management practice audits, interviews with key representatives and, if requested, consultation with key stakeholders.

CSR STRATEGIES. BEC can help you identify the key issues which need to be incorporated into your organization's strategy process, advising on how to benefit from new opportunities arising from international social and environmental trends, and implement your strategies, for example through a Sustainability Balanced Scorecard.

CSR REPORTING.Non-financial reporting is the primary outlet for organizations to communicate their challenges, commitments and achievements towards sustainability. BEC helps organizations of all sizes and sectors in preparing their reports, ranging from environmental and social responsibility, environmental health and safety (EHS), Sustainability or corporate citizenship reports. Using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Guidelines, BEC can produce a GRI reference table for those who intend to prepare a report in accordance with the GRI Guidelines. BEC will work with you to collect the useful data for the report writing, presenting your social and environmental performance accurately and relevantly to your stakeholders. Our clients' reports range from one-page summaries in their annual financial report, to stand-alone publications either printed or web-based.

CSR VERIFICATION. We also provide independent report verification or assurance, which is increasingly seen as vital to ensure completeness, accuracy and credibility. If you have your sustainability report ready, BEC can help verify the completeness, accuracy and credibility of your report. Based on the AA 1000 Assurance Standard, we can assess your report and performance, and offer suggestions in a comprehensive verification report to further improve your future sustainability report.

CROSS-BORDER AIR POLLUTION.To tackle the deteriorating air quality, BEC formed the Air Pollution Committee and Business-led Initiative on Air Pollution to identify the issues and solutions from the business perspectives. Our Shenzhen operation offers clean tech and energy efficiency solutions to manufacturers in the Pearl River Delta. In addition, we measure, certify and help improve the performance of signatories as part of the pilot certification program of the Clean Air Charter. We also advise and support the 1-1-1 Environmental Project Program of Federation of Hong Kong Industries.

CLIMATE CHANGE BUSINESS FORUM Initiated in October 2007, the Climate Change Business Forum (CCBF) brings together business leaders to address climate change challenges and opportunities. CCBF aims to be a catalyst in connecting businesses, incorporating worldwide research and bring best practices to Hong Kong. CCBF also encourages increased government commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a carbon trading hub across Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. Mitigation policies include cleaner fuels for electricity generation and transport, importing environment friendly vehicles, improving the efficiency of aviation, and lowering end-use demand towards a less carbon intense economy.

Founding patrons and members: Cathay Pacific, Hang Lung Group, HSBC, Sino Group, Standard Chartered Bank, Chevalier Group, CLP Holdings Ltd, DTZ, Bank of East Asia, Hongkong Electric Company, Hongkong Land Holdings, Lai Sun Group, MTR Corporation, Sun Hung Kai Properties Group, Swire Pacific, Hong Kong Jockey Club and Towngas (as of March 2008).

ENERGY MANAGEMENT.Avoiding unnecessary energy wastage is a critical element of any organization's sustainability commitment - not least through reductions in operating costs and associated air pollutants, greenhouse gases and resource depletion. BEC's specialists have found savings in hundreds of offices, buildings and installations through improved metering and monitoring, system control, management practices and upgrades to existing plant and equipment. Our clients also use this expertise to quantify, benchmark, communicate and reduce their related greenhouse gases using tools such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

GREENHOUSE GAS FOOTPRINTING.Hong Kong Building Greenhouse Rating Scheme (HKBGR) is tailor-made for building owners, occupants and managers in Hong Kong with reference to the successful Australian Building Greenhouse Rating System. This unique tool is designed to benchmark and communicate your greenhouse gas (GHG) performance to your key stakeholders. BEC helps rate the actual carbon dioxide associated with the energy use in your building or office. HKBGR also aids your involvement in programs such as the Clean Air Charter, Carbon Disclosure Project and Global Reporting Initiative.

GREEN BUILDING LABELLING.Research shows that certified green buildings cost 1.8% more to design and construct, but yield a 20% cost saving over the life of the building. BEC provides BEAM (Building Environmental Assessment Method) certification and training to promote the environmental sustainability of buildings. Many of the region's developers, architects, engineers and contractors use BEAM to appraise the design, construction, refurbishment and commissioning of their new buildings. Additionally, owners, managers and occupiers of existing properties use BEAM to benchmark performance in operation, maintenance and management.

BUILDING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT METHOD (BEAM) was initiated by BEC in 1995 in Hong Kong. BEC offers BEAM certification and training on behalf of the not-for-profit and membership-based BEAM Society. BEC also serves as its Secretariat. Certification is completely voluntary with buildings achieving BEAM ratings of Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum according to their level of performance.

Over 100 BEAM best practice criteria address sustainability issues including:

• Energy & Water: low energy design, embodied energy, efficient systems & control, commissioning, Operation & Maintenance, water quality, rain / grey water recovery, effluent discharge etc.
  
• Indoor Environment: indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting quality, natural lighting, noise and acoustics, building amenity, spatial flexibility, hygiene, etc.
  
• Materials & Waste: recycled and recyclable content, ozone depleting substances, hazardous substances, etc.
  
• Site aspects: accessibility, neighbourhood amenity, ecology & urban greenery, microclimate, noise / air / water pollution, etc.
  

BEC has certified over 150 green building developments encompassing over 68 million square feet of space including 35,000 residential units (as of February 2008). On per capita basis, BEAM is one of the most widely used voluntary green building labelling of its kind in the world.

GREEN PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN. Leading corporations address not only their own sustainability, but also the activities and services of their partners "up and downstream". BEC can help you to engage with your clients, suppliers, contractors and other business partners, for example through: integrating social and environmental practices into contracts, specifications, purchasing and procurement policies; auditing the performance suppliers and contractors; developing your own brand of best-practice handbooks and training to help engage partners in greening the supply chain.

HARBOUR & WATERFRONT ENHANCEMENT. Victoria Harbour is core to Hong Kong's heritage, an international icon and a source of inspiration to those who live and work in Hong Kong. Through Harbour Business Forum, we aim to engage the private sector with relevant stakeholders to agree upon, and implement, a common vision for the harbour and waterfront enhancement. BEC's management also sits on the Harbour-front Enhancement Committee advising government on relevant planning implementation and management.

Harbour Business Forum (HBF) was established by BEC in 2005, with the mission to see Hong Kong's harbour and waterfront areas become a genuinely vibrant, accessible and sustainable world-class asset. HBF is a coalition of diverse corporations, business chambers and professional associations that focuses on the sustainable planning and holistic development of the existing and new harbour-fronts areas via research studies, government engagement, awareness raising and design competitions.

HBF has over 200 corporate patrons and members who share the following objectives:

• The creation of an overarching agency for the harbour.
• To promote integrated planning and coordination of projects related to the long term economic, social and environmental interests of Hong Kong's harbour
  
• To support the Harbour Planning Principles and their application to all future harbour developments
  

HBF Patron Members: CITIC Pacific, Henderson Land Development, HSBC, Jardine Matheson, Kerry Holdings, Lai Sun Group, Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons, Sun Hung Kai Properties, Swire Group and The Wharf (as of Feb 2008).

INVESTOR SERVICES. BEC offers the investment community the latest thinking and tools to tap into the fast growing green capital and technologies. BEC can help you evaluate your potential clean tech investment, conduct market research and credit risk analysis so as to assist you to make the best informed decision to evaluate your prospective gains and losses. We can also help to review internal factors influencing company carbon emissions and offer all-inclusive reviews of emissions.

For more information on any of the above services or intiatives, please feel free to contact our professional team. They would be happy to answer any questions you may have or visit your office to discuss your needs.