Making a ‘Carbon Difference’
CCA sponsored Hong Kong’s First Carbon Neutral Social Enterprise Summit
Social Enterprise Summit 2009, 13 -14 November, Hong Kong
With sponsorship from Carbon Care Asia, the Social Enterprise Summit 2009, held on 13 -14 November in Hong Kong, became the first carbon neutral summit of its kind in Hong Kong. This summit was organised by the Hong Kong Policy Research Foundation and supported by the Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum (HKSEF), among other corporations and institutions. Its carbon footprint included emissions from overseas flights and local transportation of speakers and participants as well as venue electricity consumption. Such emissions were measured, reduced and offset by CCA according to international protocols. The event’s core carbon footprint was measured at 14 tonnes, all of which were duly offset with the Verified Emissions Reduction (VER) certificates sponsored by CCA.
The carbon offsets funds the Baicheng Wind Power Project in Jilin Province in northeast China, which, by producing clean energy, helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These VERs have been verified by SGS (UK), in accordance to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) procedures.
The Social Enterprise Summit 2009, Hong Kong, attended by over 200 local and overseas participants, supported the following carbon reduction measures during the event:
- Encourage all event organizers, participants and supporting staff to take public transport to the venue.
- Minimize the use of paper and materials used for the event.
- Recycle the paper and materials used as far as possible.
- Keep temperature at venue around 25°C.
- Offer voluntary carbon offset to event participants.
- Provide information and communication to engage organizers, participants and wider public on CarbonCare actions.
Photo captions:
- The Kick-Off Ceremony of the Social Enterprise Summit 2009.
- CCA Advisor Dr KK Tse presented his views in one of the Summit’s plenary sessions.