Prof. WU Qiang featured in Sing Tao Daily on ESG
Prof. WU Qiang, Director of Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement (RCESGA), Associate Dean of School of Accounting and Finance, recently gave an exclusive interview to Sing Tao Daily, sharing his insights on the latest developments in environmental, social, and governance (ESG). Prof. Wu emphasised that ESG is by no means merely a “public relations expense”. When integrated into core operations, financial strategy and risk management, ESG can yield tangible returns and foster long-term competitiveness.
Prof. Wu noted that multinational brands are increasingly tightening their supply chain standards, making a robust ESG framework an essential prerequisite for entering global supply chains and securing green financing. Businesses, he suggested, must pivot from “passive compliance” to “strategic integration”, focusing on high-impact operational areas such as energy efficiency and route optimisation.
For resource-constrained small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Prof. Wu cautioned against simply replicating the practices of large corporations. Instead, SMEs should adopt a pragmatic, targeted approach, prioritising initiatives with clearly measurable outcomes, such as waste reduction and fuel efficiency. Furthermore, businesses can leverage affordable smart tools, such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Artificial Intelligence, to enhance data management efficiency, reduce administrative costs and enable forward-looking decision-making.
Finally, Prof. Wu reminded businesses not to overstate their ESG performance. Citing cases involving financial institutions such as DWS and Vanguard, which faced hefty penalties over greenwashing allegations, he noted that the greatest risk in advancing ESG lies in making commitments that exceed an organisation’s capabilities. Management must “ensure accuracy in communication first, then substantiate it with solid data”, thereby building stakeholder trust through transparency and authentic reporting.
Online coverage: Sing Tao Daily - [Link]
吳強教授接受《星島頭條》專訪 談環境、社會及企業治理
香港理工大學環境，社會，和治理促進研究中心主任兼會計及金融學院副院長吳強教授近日接受《星島頭條》專訪，分享對環境、社會及企業治理（ESG）發展趨勢的見解。吳教授強調，ESG絕非純粹的「公關開支」；若能將其納入企業營運、財務與風險管理，將可轉化為實質的商業回報與長遠競爭力。
吳教授指出，隨著跨國品牌相繼收緊供應鏈標準，完善的ESG體系已成為打入國際供應鏈與爭取綠色融資的必要門檻。他建議企業應由「被動合規」轉為「戰略融合」，聚焦能源效率或路線優化等核心議題。
針對資源有限的中小企，吳教授建議切忌照搬大企業模式，應採取「小切口」策略，優先從減廢、油耗等較易量化的項目著手。同時，企業可善用光學字符識別（OCR）及人工智能等低成本智能工具，提升數據管理效率、降低行政成本，從而實現「前瞻決策」。
吳教授提醒企業切忌誇大ESG表現。他以海外金融機構如DWS及Vanguard曾因涉及「漂綠」（greenwashing）而面臨重罰為例，指出企業推動ESG最忌「承諾超出能力」。管理層必須「先把話說準，再把數據做實」，以透明真實的數據贏取持份者信任。
網上報導：星島頭條 - [Link]
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