Hong Kong Industrialist Aug Oct 2021

Optimising Data Transformation for Sustainable Industrial Development 善用數據化轉型 引領工業可持續發展 I ndustry is a crucial aspect of the global sustainability ecosystem. To “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” is one of the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to bring together national governments and businesses to reduce waste, manage chemical emissions, and adopt more sustainable production patterns in developing countries. Efforts are directed to reduce the burden on the environment and society while we enjoy the economic growth and improved livelihoods brought about by industrialisation. Sustainability is not just a “good-to-have”; it has become an essential element of corporate management nowadays. A survey by Economist Intelligence Unit and UBS on institutional investors has indicated that three-quarters of respondents believe that the pandemic has aroused market’s interest on ESG and that ESG-integrated investments are performing better financially than traditional investments. It is believed that more institutions are evaluating performance and making investment decisions based on a company's performance on sustainability. By incorporating the values of sustainable development into operations, industrialists not only contribute to the global vision of carbon and waste reduction, but also improve their internal governance to enhance resilience against operational risks. Through sustainable procurement strategies, industrialists can cascade the sustainability vision to their component and service providers, as well as raw material manufacturers, to achieve sustainability throughout the entire industry chain. As and when modern manufacturing systems are becoming more intelligent, a significant amount of data can be collected throughout the production process, which not only improves productivity but also provides substantial basis for enterprises to review their ESG performance and set up performance indicators. Such data transformation is instrumental for improving corporate sustainability in a transparent and traceable manner. 工 業是全球可持續發展生態系統的重要一環。聯合國的十七個可持續發展目標之一為「永續的消費與生產模 式」，集合國家、企業的力量，實現減廢、管理化學物排放，以及在發展中國家採用更可持續的生產模式等目 標，讓人類在受惠於工業化帶來的經濟增長和生活改善的同時，減少對環境和社會造成的負擔。可持續發展從以 往的「錦上添花」，現在已成為企業管理中不能忽視的要素。在瑞銀委託經濟學人智庫對機構投資者的調查中指， 四分之三受訪者認為新冠肺炎疫情令投資市場加倍關注ESG，而整合ESG的投資項目財務表現比傳統投資項目更 佳，相信越來越多機構會以企業的可持續發展表現來評估績效及作出投資決定。 工業家將可持續發展的價值觀融入營運，不但為減碳、減廢的全球目標作出貢獻，亦可改善內部管治機制，以減低 營運風險。同時，我們可以透過採購政策發揮影響力，將可持續發展的理念傳遞到零件或服務供應商、原材料生產 商等，推動整條產業鏈可持續發展。現代工業邁向智能化，從中大量收集生產過程的數據，在改善生產效率之餘， 更能為企業檢視環境、社會及治理表現和設立績效指標提供實在的數據基礎，以透明、可追溯的方式全面改善企業 可持續性。 Deputy Chairman 副主席 Clara Chan 陳婉珊 LEADERSHIP VIEWS | 我觀我見 12 | 8-10/2021