Insight & Ideas

Vivien Teu

Founding Principal & Director,

Vivien Teu Law Practice / VTLP Impact

About

Vivien has extensive and in-depth experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer specialising in the financial services sector, funds and wealth management. Driven by her belief in responsible capital and sustainable finance, and further to her wealth of experience in corporate, asset management and the investment industry, Vivien has strengthened ESG and impact focus in her practice since 2018, following global developments of the Paris Agreement and increasing adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

January 22, 2024

Hong Kong proposed enhanced climate disclosure requirements – ISSB paradigm shift for corporate governance, strategy and sustainable finance landscape

In April 2023, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“SEHK”) published a consultation paper (the “Consultation Paper”) which contains amendments to the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (“HKEX”) Listing Rules to require all SEHK-listed issuers to comply with enhanced climate-related disclosures in their ESG reports. The proposed amendments are intended to be largely aligned with the IFRS’ International Sustainability Standards Board Climate-related Disclosures Standard (“ISSB Climate Standard”), the Exposure Draft of which was published in March 2022 and the official adopted version issued on 26 June 2023.

July 4, 2023

Focus on “G” - ESG Governance

In the continued “mainstreaming” of corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, let us focus on “G” as we start the new year. Hong Kong, one of the earliest jurisdictions of listed companies to have introduced ESG reporting and its requirements, has undergone several rounds of updates since the first iteration in 2013. Under the revised ESG Reporting Guide issued in July 2020, one of the key enhancements is a focus on board governance and oversight of ESG issues. The enhanced ESG disclosure framework requires mandatory reporting on the board’s engagement and oversight on ESG matters and “comply or explain” disclosure on four environmental aspects and eight social aspects, with each aspect covering general disclosures on the issuer’s policies and/or compliance with laws and regulations (as applicable), and key performance indicators (“KPIs”).