ESG and Equality: Navigating Governance for Organizational Success
ESG (environmental, social, governance) is gaining increasing importance across various sectors of the society. For instance, HKEX has introduced and advanced the ESG agenda within the business community through listing regulations, rules, education, and by offering guidance on ESG adoption and development.
As outlined in its "Environmental, Social and Governance Reporting Guide," ESG performance within the “Social” category can be examined from aspects including employment, health and safety, development and training. "Equality" also plays an important role in this regard, as highlighted in a market survey conducted by the global management consultancy McKinsey, demonstrating that organizations embracing diversity tend to achieve superior performance.
Implementing equality policies at the governance level within NGOs not only aligns with societal expectations but also enhances public trust. Below are guidelines that can help NGOs promote equality policies, uphold good governance, and drive institutional development in the long run.
Upcoming Events
The Golden Key to Unlock Good Governance: Managing with Equality
In today’s landscape, NGOs encounter significant challenges related to equality and discrimination. It is more crucial than ever to proactively identify and address these issues in order to strengthen the NGO governance capacity. The Council has invited the Equal Opportunities Commission to conduct two sharing sessions that will introduce the Anti-Discrimination Ordinance, and assist NGOs in implementing good governance for equal opportunities.
Resources
Four event materials have been published on the Project’s website since July 2024 and are as follows:
- The Risks of NGO Staff Misconduct: When might an NGO or its directors be held legally responsible? (Mr. Leo Cheng, Mr. Rodney Ko and Mr. Desmond Cheung), the Council collaborated with PILnet and DLA Piper to explain, using a series of case studies: (1) the potential liability of NGOs and their directors for staff misconduct; and (2) what best practices NGOs can adopt to limit such liability.
- Must Know Legal Issues for NGO Management (Rerun) - Anonymous Donations (Mr. Alan Linning), Mr. Alan Linning, Partner of Mayer Brow, revisited the issue of anonymous donations with NGOs’ governing bodies, exploring strategies to combat money laundering and necessary measures for handling anonymous donations.
- Must Know Legal Issues for NGO Management (Rerun) - Intellectual Property (Ms. Gabriela Kennedy), Ms. Gabriela Kennedy, Partner at Mayer Brown and an expert in intellectual property law, once again shared her legal expertise with HKCSS participants, explaining legal requirement through case studies.
- Crisis Management 2.0: Establishing a Flexible Response Framework (Dr. Li Chan Wing), the Council invited Dr. Li Chan Wing, a media veteran, to revisit the "MNOPQR" crisis management checklist, explore the 5Ws1H technique's practical application, and analyze key cases for insights on current crisis management trends and strategies.
Issue 19 │ November 2024
