Chamber’s Spotlight How can the Committee help corporations focus and understand the importance of practising the green and circular economy?
Introduction of the Green and Circular Economy Committee What are the scope and the main goal of the Green and Circular Economy Committee? The Green and Circular Economy Committee (the “Committee”) was created a few months ago on the basis of a collective effort among the members of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao (ICC). The committee aims to facilitate the adoption of sustainability principles in the Hong Kong business community together with the sharing of experiences and best practices towards the circular economy. It also aspires to support the promotion of a post-epidemic green recovery of the economy introduced by the HKSAR Government and the adoption of suitable strategies to support a durable and sustainable economic growth. In this regard, the main goals of the Committee are to help Italian companies explore sustainable business opportunities in Hong Kong and Macao and act as a bridge with other private institutions to understand the most appropriate steps towards the development of a greener economy. Another key objective is to educate ICC members on the adoption of the Circular Economy and the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) practices in their business models. The Committee is determined to achieve these ambitious goals by mapping out initiatives that generate new business opportunities and share knowledge simultaneously. In addition, the Committee aims to add value to ICC members by sharing incentives, innovation projects and educational content related to Sustainability and the Circular Economy proposed by the Government and other institutions.
10 − Chamber’s Spotlight
With rapid economic growth worldwide, the environmental impact is becoming a key driver of our current economic models. Sustainable industries are booming across APAC and with the Hong Kong Government committed to leading Hong Kong to become a green and sustainable city, plenty of opportunities arise. The Committee identified five major objectives to help corporations focus and understand the crucial aspects of sustainability and how the circular economy can support economic recovery. Firstly, the Committee will update members on the existing and planned incentive schemes initiated by the Government, such as the recently launched funding scheme - Green Tech Fund conceived to support a sustainable business transition. Secondly, the Committee will engage with members with a view to scouting the latest technologies, products and services available in the market thus providing different innovative solutions for a sustainable transition. Thirdly, the Committee will promote networking sessions for members to exchange thoughts and opportunities to meet different institutes, private companies and public entities. Fourthly, the Committee will work alongside private/public institutes and companies to organize meetings, workshops, aiming to spread knowledge on sustainable matters with a view to raise awareness and understanding about the opportunities in the Green and Circular Economy applicable in the Asia Pacific. Last but not least, the Committee will strengthen community relations by bringing like-minded enterprises together to create business opportunities related to the Circular Economy principles and practices.
