1988

• Concerned about Hong Kong's deteriorating air and water quality, former Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Chairman Sir William Purves conceives a non-profit think-tank geared towards influencing government and business. He invites key business leaders to join HSBC to undertake research and identify appropriate actions to address environmental problems in Hong Kong.
  
  
  

1989

• Sir William Purves' idea comes to fruition as 19 leading businesses come together to form the Private Sector Committee on the Environment (PSCE). Sir Purves becomes the founding Chair.

1991

• PSCE establishes the Centre for Environmental Technology (CET) to pool resources and provide practical assistance to polluting industries on how to clean up through research, training, conferences and award programs.

1992

• The Governor's Award for Industry in Environmental Protection is launched (later became the Hong Kong Awards for Industries in Environmental Performance, organized by CET).
• CET develops industrial pollution self checking system for the manufacturing industry.
• Global milestone: United Nations organizes the Earth Summit. The articles of sustainable development are embodied in Agenda 21.

1994

• CET organizes the Factory Fora and Visit Program to demonstrate best practice in air and water pollution prevention, waste minimization and cleaner production for more than 3,000 factories.
• CET sets up a cross-sector industry environmental hotline handling over 3,000 enquiries helping companies to address environmental issues.

1995

• CET is an adviser to the first Eco-Labelling Life-Cycle Analysis and Green Purchasing study in Hong Kong on behalf of the Environmental Protection Department.
• Global milestone: The World Business Council for Sustainable Development is formed.

1996

• Former HKSAR Government Chief Secretary, Mrs Anson Chan, officiates the opening of our headquarters in the Jockey Club Environmental Building, a sustainable development resource centre for the Hong Kong community.
• PCSE formally launches BEAM (Building Environmental Assessment Method), a voluntary assessment scheme to measure, improve and label the environmental sustainability of buildings.

1997

• CET organizes the first Energy Efficient Building Award on behalf of the HKSAR Government, recognizing outstanding performance in the design, installation and integration of building services systems to achieve high-energy efficiency.
• CET publishes the International Legislation and Trends in Transport Packaging for Hong Kong’s Manufacturers. It is published in English and Chinese.
• Global milestone: Sovereignty of Hong Kong is returned to the People's Republic of China.

1998

• PSCE publishes the Hong Kong Exporters on Europe's Packaging Waste Management System bilingual guide.
• CET co-develops the sustainable tourism strategy with the Hong Kong Tourist Association.

1999

• PSCE rallies 20 private-sector and government leaders to sign the United Nations Environmental Programme's (UNEP) International Declaration on Cleaner Production. The ceremony is officiated by Mr Tung Chee Hwa, former Chief Executive of the HKSAR Government.
• CET initiates the inaugural Hong Kong Eco-Products Award with support from Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Chinese Manufacturers' Association, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Hong Kong Industries to honour outstanding environmental products across the whole product life cycle.
• PSCE members fund a Floating Refuse Collection Trial Project to demonstrate the benefits of improved technology and identify options for more effective marine refuse collection strategies.
• Global Milestone: Kyoto Protocol agreement is drawn under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

2000

• PSCE and CET are merged to form the Business Environment Council (BEC).
• BEC organizes the first Markets and Investor conference on financing sustainable development.
• Global Milestone: The United Nations includes environmental sustainability in the Millennium Declaration.

2001

• BEC creates ISO14 001 templates and case studies for Hong Kong's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as part of the government's Support Action Plans initiative.
• BEC produces the Pollution Control Legislation Affecting Manufacturing Industries for the Trade and Industry Department guide for the HKSAR Government.

2002

• The Business and Industry Environment Conferences, initiated by BEC in 1992, is reconfigured under a series of themed events and is rebranded as the EnviroSeries.
• BEC co-implements Project Acorn to support local organizations in improving their environmental performance with funding from Trade and Industry Department and in partnership with Hong Kong Productivity Council.
• Global Milestone: World Summit on Sustainable Development is held.

2003

• BEC becomes Hong Kong's Regional Network Partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

2004

• BEC's Hong Kong Business Guide to Sustainable Development is initiated and is Hong Kong's first bilingual publication and web source for all business enterprises.
• BEC assists with the development and launch of HSBC's first Living Business Awards in recognition of socially and environmentally responsible small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong.
• BEC develops the guidebook on Waste Separation and Recovery in Residential Buildings for the Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR Government.

2005

• BEC initiates the Harbour Business Forum with a mission to realize Hong Kong's harbour and harbourfront as a vibrant, accessible and sustainable world-class asset.
• Hong Kong Housing Authority's Lam Tin Phases 7 and 8 is celebrated as the 100th BEAM certified green property development.
• BEC's Business-led Initiatives on Air Pollution is launched to tackle air pollution in Hong Kong and across the region.
• BEC co-develops and launches Hong Kong's Great Outdoors guide map, the first comprehensive bilingual eco-tourism guide map.
• China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited becomes BEC's 100th Council Member.
• Global Milestone: Over 160 countries ratify Kyoto Protocol's targets.

2006

• BEC organizes the Hong Kong Awards for Industries: Environmental Performance, which recognizes best practices in corporate environmental responsibility, for its 15th year.
• The Harbour Business Forum organizes the My Harbour Design Competition, inviting Hong Kong's people to share ideas for a new Victoria Harbour.
  
• Gammon Construction Sustainability Report Verification becomes BEC's 1,000th project.
  
• Global milestone: Stern Report predicts that global warming may lead to an economic disaster comparable to the Great Depression in the 1930s.

2007

• BEC launches its new logo and celebrates its 18th Anniversary with members and partners. The celebration is officiated by Mr Edward Yau, Secretary for the Environment, HKSAR.
  
• BEC China Ltd and BEC mainland Representative Office are established in Shenzhen and Beijing respectively.
  
• The BEC IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) Solutions Centre becomes Hong Kong's first accredited certificate issuing body (CIB) approved by the Hong Kong Accreditation Service.
  
• BEC expands to a network of more than 20,000 companies with a combined market capitalization of HK$3 trillion and 1 million employees (as of May 2008).
  
• BEC representative attends the United Nations Climate Conference 2007 in Bali as part of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development delegation.
  
• China Milestone: China's 11th Five-Year Plan was mapped out including goals for sustainable development.
  
  

2008

• BEC collaborates with Peking University on a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) research to understand the current CSR situation of mainland China corporations and propose policy recommendation.
• BEC initiates Hong Kong Building Greenhouse Gas Rating Scheme to benchmark and communicate the greenhouse gas performance of buildings.
  
• BEC formally launches the Climate Change Business Forum in March 2008. The Forum aims at providing a high level platform for business leaders to understand and communicate the opportunities and challenges in the increasingly carbon constrained world. The Hon Mr C Y Leung and Mr Tony Tyler are the founding chairs for the Forum.
• BEC to jointly organize the 13th Green China Forum with Ministry of Environmental Protection's China Environmental Culture Promotion Association, and Hong Kong's InterCham, an affiliation of all 27 international chambers of commerce in Hong Kong.