Organized by Macau Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility in Greater China (MICSRGC) and co-organized by the Macao University of Tourism as principal supporting partner, coordinated by Sustainable Solutions (Asia) and Macro PR, the “MICSRGC International Forum: Innovative & Sustainable Finance & ESG” was grandly held today at the Grand Hall of Inspiration Building, Mong-Há Campus, Macao University of Tourism. Ms. Sandy Sio, President of the Administrative Council of MICSRGC, delivered the opening and closing speeches, emphasizing the importance of sustainable finance in the current global environment and calling for concerted efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals.
In her opening remarks, President Sandy Sio warmly welcomed the attendees and thanked Macao University of Tourism, and the EEEAGER Group of Cardiff University for their collaboration. She mentioned that last year's forum successfully explored nature-related financial and reporting frameworks and pointed out that under the "1+4" diversification development strategy, Macau's ecological conservation efforts deserve more attention. As the various industries have been recovering rapidly, the city confronts the dual challenges of increased human traffic and environmental pressure. President Sandy Sio stressed that with the intensification of global climate change, seeking new business operations to support sustainable development has become particularly important. She noted that sustainable finance and environmental, social and governance (ESG) are not only catalysts for growth and value creation but also key to protecting biodiversity and driving climate action.
During the forum, Prof. Jill Atkins and Ms. Martina Macpherson, the experts in finance and accounting from the EEEAGER Group of Cardiff University, delivered two feature sessions. Prof. Atkins has explored agendas on biodiversity protection and nature restoration, emphasizing the accounting, accountability and finance for rewilding and de-extinction, and proposed the necessity of the development of new forms of finance, such as nature fintech and biodiversity credits. Following this, Ms. Macpherson introduced an innovative financing method namely the “extinction bond” and discussed species extinction accounting mechanisms and financial solutions through specific case studies, aiming to protect species and enhance biodiversity while maintaining financial market stability. Additionally, Prof. Atkins, Ms. Macpherson, Prof. Carlos Noronha, Mr. Pedro Theotónio and Prof. Morris Liu engaged in an insightful discussion during the panel session, which touched on the latest topics in sustainable finance and ESG. Prof. Carlos Noronha from the University of Macau highlighted the profound impact of these topics in the fields of sustainability, accounting, finance, corporate social responsibility and corporate governance, and looked forward to participants gaining insights and further exploring related topics in sustainable finance.
At the end of the forum, President Sandy Sio once again thanked all the participants and supporting partners, especially Macao University of Tourism, and the EEEAGER Group of Cardiff University. She reviewed the wonderful speeches by the two keynote speakers, noting that Prof. Atkins discussed biodiversity protection and nature restoration while introducing innovative financial solutions, and Ms. Macpherson shared the concept of "Extinction Bonds," emphasizing the potential of sustainable finance in protecting species and enhancing biodiversity. President Sandy Sio pointed out that through various sessions of this forum, participants gained a more in-depth understanding of how sustainable finance and ESG can be instrumental in preventing the extinction crisis on earth and enhancing biodiversity. She emphasized that achieving sustainable development goals requires adequate funds and resources, and innovative and sustainable finance will become a key driving force to support the supply of resources for various stakeholders in launching sustainability projects.
Finally, President Sandy Sio expressed her hope that participants would mobilize their professional strengths and available resources to attain a state of balance among People, Planet, and Profit, and to foster the harmony between human and nature. She wished that this forum would bring fruitful results to all participants and believed that the successful holding of this forum not only injected new vitality into Macau's sustainable development but also laid a solid foundation for future cooperation and innovation.
The guests at the opening ceremony of the forum included: Dr. Fanny Vong, Rector of the Macao University of Tourism; Sandy Sio, President of the Administrative Council of the Macau Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility in Greater China; Victoria Kuan, Director of the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center; Tsui Kum Wing, Vice President of the Macau Association of Chinese Accountants; Prof. Carlos Noronha, Vice President of the Administrative Council of the Macau Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility in Greater China, representing Macau Daily Times; José Carlos Matias, Director of Macau Business; Gillian Tang, Director of Marketing and Public Relations of ISA Next-Gen Materials.
The other supporting partner of this forum included: the EEEAGER Group of Cardiff University; various collaborating partners, including Business Intelligence, Macau Association of Chinese Accountants, Macau Business, Macau Daily Times, and ISA Next-Gen Materials; sponsored by Macao Foundation; liaison partner Macro Public Relations; and event coordinator Sustainable Solutions (Asia).Source: Macau Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility in Greater China (MICSRGC)