About 80 business leaders attended the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index (HSSUS) briefing session organized by the Business Environment Council (BEC) to share the business case in the index and exchange ideas in how the index will raise the standards of corporate governance among the business community.

Prof. John Chai, Chairman of BEC, highlighted the growing public awareness on the benefits that corporate sustainability investment brings to society in his welcoming speech. It is the first sustainability index in Hong Kong and Mainland China, and it will contribute significantly to the development of corporate sustainability in the region.

Mr Alex Chan, Vice President of Marketing & Channel Management at Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited, focused his presentation on the business case for the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index. He explained how the Index will provide more transparent information to investors and, in turn, encourage a wider uptake of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices among corporations.

Ms Martha Grossman, General Manager of RepuTex (an independent advisory firm specializes in sustainability risk analysis) explained how the index works. She provided details on the research methodologies and how RepuTex’s research model combines each company’s ESG performance with local market and industry specific exposures to determine a firm’s overall sustainability position.

Dr Margaret Burnett, Head of Corporate Sustainability of BEC talked about how a company can demonstrate its sustainability performance in the areas of environmental, social and corporate governance. She explained how strategic planning interacts with stakeholder engagement and risk management in a circular process.

Participants actively engaged in the panel discussion and raised various questions regarding the subject. Currently, there are three companies accomplished the “AA” rating. Dr Andrew Thomson, CEO of BEC ended the briefing session by giving the audience the challenge in being the first to achieve the “AAA Rating” in the Index.

You may review the powerpoint presentations by clicking on the links below:

Business Case in Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index
Mr Alex Chan, Vice President, Marketing & Channel Management, Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited

Nuts and Bolts of Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index
Ms Martha Grossman, General Manager, RepuTex

Practical Steps in Fulfilling the Requirements of the Sustainability Index
Dr Margaret Burnett, Head – Corporate Sustainability, Business Environment Council