Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO), Ms Emily Mo, joined the webinar titled “Hong Kong Food Tech x ESG” hosted by the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Toronto GTA) with the support of HKETO, Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) Canada and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) on October 4.
The webinar aimed to illustrate how business can grow together while meeting Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals. Panelists from the food tech sector shared insights on how their companies have successfully incorporated ESG in Canada and Hong Kong.
In delivering opening remarks at the webinar, Ms Mo pointed out that Hong Kong and Canada share the same commitment to environmental sustainability, noting that both aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
“Hong Kong is steadfast in its aspiration to become a premier hub for green technology and green finance. Throughout the years, we have explored various solutions to combat climate change, including the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and the promotion of sustainable food,” she said.
To facilitate this transition, Hong Kong established the Green Tech Fund in 2020, with an investment of approximately 65 million Canadian dollars. “The Innovation and Technology Fund also offers substantial financial support and resources to businesses engaged in green technology. Currently, we are home to over 100 green-tech companies and startups, operating within our incubators at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park and Cyberport. These incubators warmly welcome overseas companies to establish their presence in Hong Kong to cater the vibrant market on the East,” Ms Mo added.
Ms Mo remarked that Hong Kong is also a prominent player in the global green finance ecosystem. “Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center remains unshaken, with a robust presence of global institutional investors actively seeking green investment opportunities. Enormous opportunities are posed by the requirement of ESG reporting and the huge demand for green projects and green financing in the Mainland China.”
Ms Mo noted that changing consumer behavior is another pivotal factor propelling developments in green technology. By capitalizing on Hong Kong’s pool of innovation and technology experts and government support, its financial standing, and a vibrant consumer market support, investors can establish their research and development bases in Hong Kong, and bring the innovations to market by leveraging advanced manufacturing and storage facilities available in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
In term of the passion for food, Hong Kong heavily relies on imported food which includes a substantial amount of seafood from Canada. “This reliance has spurred creativity and innovation in food treatment in our city,” Ms Mo said.
Following Ms Mo’s remarks, Head of Business and Talent Attraction of InvestHK Canada, Mr Christopher Chen, shared insights on Hong Kong as an ESG hub for Canadian companies to leverage.
香港經貿處處長參與「香港食品科技和環境、社會及管治」網上研討會
香港駐多倫多經濟貿易辦事處（香港經貿處）處長巫菀菁於十月四日出席港加商會（大多倫多分會）主辦的「香港食品科技 × 環境、社會及管治」網上研討會，該研討會獲香港經貿處、香港投資推廣署加拿大辦事處及香港貿易發展局多倫多辦事處支持。
研討會旨在向企業推廣如何能達到環境、社會及管治（ESG）目標的同時，成功發展業務；並邀請來自食品科技界的講者分享企業在加拿大和香港成功引入ESG標準的寶貴心得。
巫菀菁在研討會上致開幕辭時指出，香港和加拿大同樣力求環境可持續發展，兩地均訂定要在二零五零年前達致碳中和的目標。
巫菀菁表示：「香港銳意成為綠色科技和金融的重要樞紐。多年來，我們一直努力研究各種應對氣候變化的方案，包括採用具能源效益的科技和鼓勵選擇可持續食品。」
為鼓勵發展，香港在二零二零年設立相當於6,500萬加元的低碳綠色科研基金。巫菀菁續指：「創新及科技基金亦為相關企業提供龐大財政支援及資源。現時，共有過百間綠色科技企業及初創公司在香港科學園及數碼港等科研培育基地營運，這些科研園地將繼續歡迎海外企業落戶香港，以應付亞洲市場需要。」
巫菀菁表示，香港亦在綠色金融生態系統中擔當關鍵角色。她說：「香港國際金融中心的地位屹立不倒，許多國際機構投資者積極尋找綠色投資機遇，ESG報告的要求及中國內地對綠色項目和綠色金融的巨大需求正創造龐大機遇。」
巫菀菁提到，消費模式改變亦是推動綠色科技發展的一大主因。只要把握香港的創科專家人才庫、政府支援、雄厚儲備及強大的消費市場支援，全球投資者便能在香港建立研究及發展基地，善用粵港澳大灣區先進的製造及貯存設備，把創新意念推出市場。
就對食品的渴求，香港非常依賴進口食物，包括大量入口加拿大海鮮，巫菀菁指出：「因為依賴入口食物，香港的食品處理方法非常新穎，極富創意。」
及後，投資推廣署加拿大辦事處總監陳立智亦在會上分享香港作為ESG樞紐協助加拿大企業發展的見解。
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