The BDO ESG Awards recognises outstanding listed companies in Hong Kong that have made a positive impact in the areas of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) – those that implement outstanding sustainability initiatives.
Having started in 2018, the Awards was the first in Hong Kong to encourage companies to be more aware of their social responsibility to incorporate sustainability into their business model. As always, the BDO ESG Awards has an independent judging panel to review and evaluate participating companies and select the final winners. With the standard of ESG reports of listed companies continuing to improve in recent years, BDO has brought in an independent professional organisation to conduct preliminary screening of the participating companies this year, in the hope of raising the standing of the Awards.
This year, the theme of the Awards keeps as ‘Carbon Neutrality’. Rapid global warming is still an urgent global challenge around the globe. Challenges on climate change, combined with greater social awareness, have driven enterprises to adopt ESG factors into business strategies and demonstrate their utmost effort in making the world greener. To tackle climate risks and challenges as well as to create long-term and sustained value for all stakeholders and the community, enterprises should discharge their corporate responsibility in striving to achieve a long-term ‘net-zero’ carbon emission business model. This year’s Theme Award will put a spotlight on the industry best practice to recognise listed companies’ effort in achieving ‘net-zero’ carbon emission and with excellent performance in the following aspects:
Biggest reduction in carbon emission (absolute and intensity) from business for the year;
Carbon reduction initiatives launched during the year that could significantly reduce carbon emission from business in the long-run; and
Long-term vision and action plans implemented to achieve carbon neutrality.
‘Outstanding ESG Performance of H-share Companies’ is to recognise specifically the H-share companies that have outstanding performance both in ESG and its reporting. Only H-share companies are eligible for this award.
In addition to the ‘Theme Award’ and ‘Outstanding ESG Performance of H-share Companies’, ‘Best in ESG’, ‘Best in Reporting’, and ‘ESG Report of the Year’ will be awarded to recognise companies that have outstanding performance in the areas of ESG.
The fifth year’s BDO ESG Awards presentation ceremony was successfully held on 12 October 2023 to announce the winners. A total of 16 companies were awarded the ‘Best in ESG’, ‘Best in Reporting’, ‘ESG Report of the Year’, ‘Outstanding ESG Performance of H-share Companies’ and ‘Theme Award’.
