Sustainable investments have gained a stronger foothold among asset owners and investment practitioners, marking their evolution into a more mature field. However, investors face multiple implementation challenges as they pursue both investment and sustainability outcomes. The Symposium unites various stakeholders within the investment ecosystem to address these issues and explore effective solutions. Building on last year’s success, this event showcases how sustainable investing navigates these hurdles to advance.
Event Details
Date: 19 June 2025 (Thursday)
Time: 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Venue: HKU iCube (4005-07, 40/F, Two Exchange Square, Central, Hong Kong)
Event Highlights
PANEL 1: Challenges to the Asset Owners to Achieve Sustainability Outcomes
Resource constraints, green-washing risks, fiduciary duty vs responsible investments, product mismatch, benchmark limitations, long term benefits vs short term performance pressure.
PANEL 2: Reality Check: Navigating the Roadblocks in Sustainable Investing
In 2025, sustainable investing comes face-to-face with reality, as investors encounter various roadblocks, from political backlash to credibility concerns. This panel will explore these challenges, their impact on decision-making and implementation, and strategies to overcome them.
Mark your calendars and save the date for the 2025 Sustainable Investing Symposium! Don’t miss this opportunity to join industry leaders and shape the future of sustainable finance.
Speakers
Keynote Speech
Mr. Paul Chow
Group General Counsel
Group Chief Sustainability Officer
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX)
Paul Chow is Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Group General Counsel at HKEX and is a member of its Management Committee.
Based in Hong Kong, Paul heads up the Group’s Legal & Secretariat functions, overseeing the Legal and Secretarial Services teams globally. He also provides strategic legal counsel to the HKEX Board and Senior Management team. In addition, he oversees the Sustainability function at HKEX, encompassing the Corporate Responsibility & Foundation team and the Carbon & ESG Product team. In this role, he is responsible for driving the Group’s sustainability strategies that align with HKEX’s purpose and long-term goals.
Prior to joining HKEX in 2021, Paul worked at Cathay Pacific Airways where he was Group General Counsel and Company Secretary. Before working in-house, he was a partner at Davis Polk Wardwell LLP, Linklaters and Slaughter and May, bringing broad experience from both private practice and as in-house counsel, along with specific expertise in corporate finance and capital markets. Outside of HKEX, he is a member of the Supervisory Committee of Tracker Fund of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Standing Committee on Company Law Reform, Funds Management Sub- Committee of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, Resolvability Review Tribunal and Standing Committee on Compliance of the Law Society of Hong Kong.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Master of Science in Global Business from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
PANEL 1: Challenges to the Asset Owners to Achieve Sustainability Outcomes
Mr. Kevin Liem, CFA
Treasurer of the Council and Court
Hong Kong Baptist University
Kevin Liem is the Treasurer of the Council and Court of the Hong Kong Baptist University, and serves as the Chairman of its Finance Committee, Investment Committee and Superannuation Fund. He also holds the position as the Chief Investment Officer of a Hong Kong-based family office and Chairperson of the Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute. Prior to that, he was the Chief Investment Officer for the Asian region at Swiss private banking group Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique SA, following his tenures with Aetos Capital’s Asia Pacific Speculative Investment Fund and UBS Investment Bank’s Investment Banking Department, respectively.
Kevin is a CFA charterholder and a Certified Public Accountant. He graduated with a Master of Taxation degree from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Toronto.
In addition, Kevin is also a regular guest host and columnist for various financial media channels providing commentaries on global economic and financial affairs.
Mr. Richard Chan, CFA
Chief Investment and ALM Officer, Head of ESG
CTF Life
Richard Chan is the Chief Investment and ALM Officer and the Head of ESG of CTF Life. He is responsible for all investment and asset-liability management (ALM) matters of CTF Life including strategic asset allocation, tactical asset allocation, hedging solution and liquidity management. His team performs securities selection and trading activities in the directly managed portfolios covering rates, credit, equities and derivatives, as well as the manager selection and oversight in the delegated portfolios. As the Head of ESG, he is also responsible for setting the GHG reduction target, implementing climate risk measurement tools and preparing the ESG disclosure for CTF Life.
Before joining CTF Life, Richard was the HK Chief Investment Officer and Asia Head of ALM of AXA. Further before, he was the Capital and Investment Actuary in Prudential Hong Kong and the Chief Risk Officer of Aviva HK. Richard is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a CFA charterholder and an FRM charterholder.
PANEL 2: Reality Check: Navigating the Roadblocks in Sustainable Investing
Mr. Wai-Shin Chan, CFA
Independent Sustainability Advisor
Wai-Shin Chan is a highly experienced analyst integral in driving the global climate and sustainability agendas. He provides cutting-edge thought-leadership for diverse stakeholders such as investors, corporates, and regulators by analysing, distilling and synthesising sustainability information, trends and developments. He is currently an independent advisor.
Wai-Shin was previously Head of HSBC’s Climate Change Centre of Excellence and also Global Head of Environmental Social Governance (ESG) research. This dual role involved analysis of climate change and its multi-asset implications as well as the integration of ESG within HSBC’s Global Research. His research was highly sought after internally across multiple departments of HSBC as well as externally across multiple regions by diverse clients of HSBC.
Before HSBC, Wai-Shin worked as a fund manager and was deeply involved in the incorporation of ESG issues into the investment decision-making process. He is a former Executive Director of the Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia, and worked for a leading investment bank as the ESG equity analyst for Asia.
Before ESG, Wai-Shin was an equity analyst for several years, where he focused on the transportation sector. He holds a degree in Mathematics and Physics from Durham University (first class honours) and is a CFA charterholder.
Mr. Hendrik Rosenthal
Director – Group Sustainability
CLP Holdings Limited
Hendrik Rosenthal is responsible for the CLP Group’s sustainability-focused strategy, reporting and engagement. He supports the senior management in sustainability and climate-related risk management and advises on a range of sustainability matters of the Group’s power business in the Asia-Pacific region, including carbon markets, sustainability reporting standards, and compliance.
With more than 20 years of experience in sustainability and environmental management across the public, private and NGO sectors, Hendrik previously led research and consulting projects in Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Hendrik currently sits on several sustainability-related committees, including as a director of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), and as a member of the IFRS Sustainability Reference Group. In Hong Kong, he serves as a member of the Sustainability Disclosure Standards Committee of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA), Co-Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham HK) Sustainability Committee, and a member of the Environment and Sustainability Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC).
