This month’s journal reviews the first two sessions of our Institute’s new ESG Reporting Certification Course (the Course) that got underway in February this year. As our Chief Executive, Ellie Pang FCG HKFCG(PE), points out in this month’s first cover story, ESG talent is scarce and much in demand in Hong Kong as organisations try to get up to speed with the everexpanding regulatory requirements – not to mention stakeholder expectations – in this area.
The Course will help to fill this competency gap, but in particular it will help organisations develop their in-house expertise in ESG management. While external expertise has a valuable role to play, particularly in helping organisations launch their sustainability journeys, getting ESG and sustainability right is likely to require a substantial rethinking of why and how an organisation operates. For this reason, ultimately, it is not something you can delegate to a team of outside consultants.
The Course offers a comprehensive overview of Hong Kong’s ESG regulatory regime. In addition, it is designed to equip attendees with a good understanding of both the highlevel issues, such as strategy setting and optimising governance structures, and the many technical issues involved, such as materiality assessments, metrics and targets, data collection and report drafting.
It comprises seven sessions and, given the enthusiastic response to the first intake (445 people have signed up), the Institute intends to offer the Course in two intakes this year. The first, currently underway, concludes in April and the second will start in July. Graduates of the Course, once they have passed both the attendance and assignment requirements, will be accredited for two years. They can use the post-nominal HKCGI Cert: ESG during the accreditation period. The names and post-nominals of those who have successfully obtained the certification will be listed on the Institute’s designated webpage for prospective employers and public searches. The Institute is also planning to offer a refresher course every two years for extended accreditation.
This month’s first cover story serves as an excellent introduction to the Course. The second cover story features an interview with Edith Shih FCG(CS, CGP) HKFCG(CS, CGP)(PE), Past International President and Institute Past President, and Executive Director and Company Secretary of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd, on the key insights her company has gained in the process of developing its sustainability strategies and processes. Both articles emphasise that good ESG starts with good governance. The board has the ultimate responsibility to address ESG-related risks and opportunities, and governance professionals can play a vital role in ensuring that the board considers and evaluates sustainabilityrelated issues, and that directors have access to the information they need.
The Course is not only targeted at our Institute’s members, however. In addition to governance professionals, it will be highly suited to directors, managers and other professional practitioners. This is important since, as I mentioned above, ESG management ultimately cannot be delegated to a single individual or team. It will require buy-in from everyone at every level of the organisation. Indeed, as Hong Kong’s ESG regulatory regime looks set to include a requirement for Scope 3 reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, the scope extends upstream and downstream into organisations’ customer base and supply chain.
The challenges involved in ESG management should not be underestimated, and I hope that our Institute’s new Course will help build not only the technical competencies but also the confidence needed by everyone involved to play their part in achieving sustainable organisations.
The Course will help to fill this competency gap, but in particular it will help organisations develop their in-house expertise in ESG management. While external expertise has a valuable role to play, particularly in helping organisations launch their sustainability journeys, getting ESG and sustainability right is likely to require a substantial rethinking of why and how an organisation operates. For this reason, ultimately, it is not something you can delegate to a team of outside consultants.
The Course offers a comprehensive overview of Hong Kong’s ESG regulatory regime. In addition, it is designed to equip attendees with a good understanding of both the highlevel issues, such as strategy setting and optimising governance structures, and the many technical issues involved, such as materiality assessments, metrics and targets, data collection and report drafting.
It comprises seven sessions and, given the enthusiastic response to the first intake (445 people have signed up), the Institute intends to offer the Course in two intakes this year. The first, currently underway, concludes in April and the second will start in July. Graduates of the Course, once they have passed both the attendance and assignment requirements, will be accredited for two years. They can use the post-nominal HKCGI Cert: ESG during the accreditation period. The names and post-nominals of those who have successfully obtained the certification will be listed on the Institute’s designated webpage for prospective employers and public searches. The Institute is also planning to offer a refresher course every two years for extended accreditation.
This month’s first cover story serves as an excellent introduction to the Course. The second cover story features an interview with Edith Shih FCG(CS, CGP) HKFCG(CS, CGP)(PE), Past International President and Institute Past President, and Executive Director and Company Secretary of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd, on the key insights her company has gained in the process of developing its sustainability strategies and processes. Both articles emphasise that good ESG starts with good governance. The board has the ultimate responsibility to address ESG-related risks and opportunities, and governance professionals can play a vital role in ensuring that the board considers and evaluates sustainabilityrelated issues, and that directors have access to the information they need.
The Course is not only targeted at our Institute’s members, however. In addition to governance professionals, it will be highly suited to directors, managers and other professional practitioners. This is important since, as I mentioned above, ESG management ultimately cannot be delegated to a single individual or team. It will require buy-in from everyone at every level of the organisation. Indeed, as Hong Kong’s ESG regulatory regime looks set to include a requirement for Scope 3 reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, the scope extends upstream and downstream into organisations’ customer base and supply chain.
The challenges involved in ESG management should not be underestimated, and I hope that our Institute’s new Course will help build not only the technical competencies but also the confidence needed by everyone involved to play their part in achieving sustainable organisations.
