With the intensification of global environmental crisis, including climate change, loss of biodiversity and depletion of natural resources, sustainable development has become the key focus area for all sectors of society. Under this circumstance, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) has become a rapidly adopted and applied assessment tool and management practice in the business community. More and more companies worldwide are aware of the significance of ESG practices and information disclosure to achieve sustainable development. In China, despite the gradual application of ESG, challenges such as the lagging behind of legal regulation, the lack of ESG professionals and the insufficient relevant theoretical research remain. In this regard, the ESG Centre was launched by the HKU Institute for China Business to address the challenges.

The ESG Centre aims to help Chinese enterprises enhance their sustainable competitiveness by applying ESG practices. The vision of the Centre is to become a cradle for nurturing sustainability-minded business leaders, especially Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) of Chinese enterprises.

The ESG Centre will focus on the following three areas: ESG education and empowerment, participation in the development of localised ESG theoretical systems in China, and promotion of ESG communication and impact.

ESG talents should possess a diverse range of qualities with interdisciplinary background such as environmental science, management science and finance. Due to the lengthy nurturing period of high-calibre ESG talents, there is a significant shortage of ESG experts in Mainland China and Hong Kong region. The ESG Centre aspires to nurture future business leaders with sustainability awareness and skills for both Mainland China and Hong Kong region and, above all, to become the cradle of future Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) for Chinese enterprises, thereby promoting the green and low-carbon cycle transformation of Chinese enterprises and creating sustainable business value.

In addition, the ESG Centre will provide corporates and organisations with training on the ESG-related knowledge and practical skills. Also, the Centre will initiate academic research and offer experiential learning opportunity for students and researchers to promote the development and adoption of localised ESG theory in China.

The establishment and development of the ESG Centre is a long-term process. The Centre is committed to fostering the development and adoption of ESG, cultivating an array of fully-fledged ESG talents for Hong Kong, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and other regions in China, empowering corporates to uphold ESG practices, promoting the development of localised ESG theoretical system, and serving as an information exchange hub for corporates and individuals who are concerned about the development of ESG in China.

Structure of ESG Centre