Go Green - Decoding EU’s Sustainable Business Strategies

The Hong Kong Productivity Council on Wednesday said small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to be more aware of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards used to evaluate a company's sustainability.

The council's chief technology officer, Dr Lawrence Cheung, said some SMEs neglect the social and governance aspects of ESG.

"Even for the environmental side, a lot of them may not know what kind of standards are available around internationally," he said.

"So a lot of them may just feel that they can just put some simple environmental measures and that would achieve a certain level of ESG."

Cheung said the council will hold personnel training courses as most SMEs lack the expertise to introduce ESG measures.

"Particularly a lot of exporters which are SMEs, more and more their buyers are demanding some sort of ESG elements in their operations," he said.

A new AI tool will also be introduced to help SMEs assess their ESG measures and compare their efforts with others in the industry.

"If they have some ESG elements particularly on the governance side, it actually gives them a lot more confidence in the eyes of investors, customers as well as the buyers," Cheung said.

Source: RTHK

ESG（環境、社會及管治）依然是目前企業相當看重的一環，但對於資源有限的中小企來說，要做好仍有一定難度。香港生產力促進局（生產力局）最新亦指出，發現仍有不少中小企缺乏專業知識、不熟悉ESG概念，甚至不理解國際標準要求。

生產力局於2024年1月推出「ESG一站通」（ESG One），為中小企提供免費ESG線上自我評估、績效卡報告、ESG專家分析、專業諮詢、技術支援及資源共享，助企業應對可持續發展挑戰，實現綠色轉型及提升品牌價值。機構就從中發現，現時香港中小企在推動ESG方面，仍有不少痛點需要面對，包括：

1）缺乏專業知識、科技與資源，不熟悉ESG概念，加上ESG規範持續更新，難以理解國際標準如GRI、ISO 14064、SBTi、ISSB等要求；同時缺乏科技專才或方案，規劃以機械、自動化設備及人工智能等改善企業ESG表現。

2）數據收集與報告困難：規劃ESG需要大量數據支持，如碳排放、回收量、供應鏈、網絡安全等數據，中小企缺乏系統性記錄與分析能力。但缺乏第三方審核經驗，難以製作具公信力的報告。

3）資金與成本壓力：ESG轉型涉及基本投資，例如節能設備、顧問服務或報告審核等，對資源有限的中小企構成壓力。雖然有政府資助計劃，但未能善用或不熟悉申請流程。

4）市場認知與曝光不足：即使中小企已積極實踐ESG，卻缺乏有效平台向市場展示成果，難以轉化為品牌價值或商業機會。

所以，生產力局便向企業提出「ESG發展6式」，由「知識」、「技術」、「資助」、及「人才」層面，協助企業「規劃」、「實踐」及「優化」ESG表現：

• ESG評估與藍圖規劃：透過ESG One的線上自我評估及專家評核報告，企業可識別優勢與改善空間，制定針對性的ESG策略。
• 網絡信任與管治：提供網絡安全諮詢與解決方案，幫助企業強化風險管理及提升治理能力。
• 專業ESG諮詢：依據國際標準（如 GRI、ISO 14064、SBTi 等），由專家提供碳/能源管理及可持續發展規劃指導。
• 綠色科技探索：結合「資源循環技術研究中心」，支持企業研發創新且具成本效益的環保技術，協助產品商品化。
• 資助計劃：鼓勵中小企申請及善用政府資助，如「回收基金」及 「發展品牌、升級轉型及拓展內銷市場的專項基金」 等，提供免費的「一對一諮詢」服務，助力業務升級轉型、應用智慧科技方案提高競 爭力，優化企業可持續發展，提升新質生產力。
• 人才培訓與商務機遇：聯繫商會及專家資源，提供最新的可持續發展趨勢與知識，並舉辦推廣活動促進跨界合作。

同時，生產力局也宣布成立全新「資源循環技術研究中心」，專注轉廢為材、節能減碳、研發綠色材料等領域，配合ESG One平台支援企業可持續發展，為中小企提供解決方案，推動香港企業發展ESG。

資料來源: 經濟日報

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