Welcome to the inaugural BEC EZine. It has never been an easy job to determine what to cover when so much is happening. When I first joined BEC 4 years ago, there were just 15 of us. Now we have a professional team of 40 with additional offices in Beijing and Shenzhen. Less is more. That's my marketing motto. Yet we are never satisfied with less when it comes to BEC's mission of Leading Responsible Business.

The first seven months see some exciting BEC developments. Early in the year, our BEC IAQ Solutions Centre became Hong Kong’s first accredited Indoor Air Quality Certificate Issuing Body. The brand new Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence and Climate Change Business Forum were launched in February and March respectively. Then Hong Kong Exchanges appointed BEC to conduct a CSR review. Clean Air Charter authorized BEC to be the certificate auditor. In June, BEC’s International CSR Experts Forum was joined by 200 senior executives in Beijing.

Find out more of what happened and what more to come in this issue:

• BEC's new Board Directors
• BEC's programs including 14th Green China Forum
• HBF’s new findings and WBCSD’s case study on BEAM
• Selected sustainability headlines globally and locally

I am still amazed how we managed to do so much with such a small team. My salute indeed to my colleagues, our board directors, members, clients and partners for their unfailing support. As always, your feedback and input are most welcome.

Enjoy reading,


Estrid Wai, Head - Communications & Marketing, Business Environment Council
T (852) 2784 3912 I E estrid@bec.org.hk

BEC in the Media

Offering sustainable business solutions to a vast network, SCMP

Creating sustainable value, Journal of SwissCham China

Industry rating promotes awareness for green building, HK Economic Journal

Green office for low cost but high efficiency, HK Economic Times

Upgrade piers for more activities along harbour, study urges, SCMP

Recommend better use of 6 forgotten waterfronts. Build cycle paths under Island Eastern Corridor, Apple Daily

Chinese government should pay more attention to companies corporate social responsibility, China Economic Herald

Greener paths: sustainable tourism in HK, RTHK Radio 3

More headlines...

Quiz: How much do you know about Climate Change, BBC
Everyone has heard about global warming – but how much do you really understand? When change creeps up upon us, it's easy not to notice the consequences. Take this quiz to see how much has passed you by.

UN to tighten rules on earning carbon offsets, Reuters
The UN's climate change agency proposed to make it more difficult for speculators to earn carbon offsets from emissions-cutting projects which were already profitable.

Asia emerging as center of carbon trade program, inquirer.net
Financial market analysts foresee increased participation of Asian countries, including the Philippines, in the carbon credit trade, with most of them covering big investments in clean development mechanism (CDM) projects.

Kenyan courts consider terminating biofuels plans, Science and Development Network
The Kenyan courts are considering halting the first stage of a US$370 million biofuel project that aims to replace up to 20,000 hectares of coastal grassland with irrigated fields of sugarcane.

What gets measured gets done – WBCSD launches Measuring Impact Framework, WBCSD
In this spirit, WBCSD launches the Framework to help companies measure and assess the impact of their business activities on economic and broader development goals wherever they operate.

China unleashes Clean Revolution, The Climate Group
Climate Group reports that China is already the world’s leading renewable energy producer and is over-taking more developed economies in exploiting valuable economic opportunities, creating green-collar jobs.

Green energy fuels the Olympic experience for millions of spectators in Beijing, UNEP
As seven million spectators watch the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, solar energy, wind farms and recycled water are among the green features that help power their Olympic experience.

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) expands with three new departments, MEP website
The Department for Control of Pollutant Discharge, the Environment Monitoring Department and the Department of Publicity and Education were added to Ministry to strengthen the roles in coordination, policy-making, law-enforcement, and public service.

Hong Kong Legco passed Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance, EPD website
The Ordinance was passed on 10 July 2008 to provide the legislative framework for the implementation of producer responsibility scheme (PRS). Environmental levy on plastic shopping bags will be the first PRS under the Ordinance.

BEC EZine is a bimonthly newsletter of Business Environment Council. We support responsible and ethical emailing marketing practices. If you wish to add other recipients or unsubscribe, please email Yammie Yeung or call (852) 2784 3924. Thank you.