Bureau Veritas was invited to attend the 2022 United Nations Seminar on Sustainable Procurement in China to share in depth how to realize ESG investment

2022 Nov 28

On November 23-24, 2022, the 2022 United Nations Seminar on Sustainable Procurement in China was opened in Xujing Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai. The seminar was jointly sponsored by the China International Economic and Technological Exchange Center of the Ministry of Commerce, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Project Services Agency and the People's Government of Qingpu District, under the guidance of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and the Administrative Committee of Hongqiao International Central Business District Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industry Association and Canhui Investment Development Co., Ltd. are jointly organized, supported by a number of United Nations agencies and domestic industry organizations. The main objective of the activity is to introduce the current initiatives and plans of the government and international organizations, including United Nations agencies, in sustainable procurement and promoting the sustainability of procurement, and invite relevant consulting institutions and enterprise representatives to share their relevant information, knowledge and practices in the area of sustainability.

As a world-renowned third-party certification agency, Ms. Zou Fengxian, General Manager of Bureau Veritas System Certification Business Group, was invited to attend the meeting and made in-depth sharing and discussion with on-site and online guests on the topic of "How to realize ESG investment".

Unlike traditional investment, which takes high return on investment as the primary purpose, ESG investment puts the positive impact on the environment and society in the first place. ESG investment refers to the integration of ESG concept into investment practice. On the basis of traditional financial analysis, the enterprise's medium and long-term development potential is investigated through the three dimensions of environment, society and corporate governance, so as to find investment targets that create both economic benefits and social values, and have the ability of sustainable growth.

At present, ESG is attracting the attention of governments and regulators. In China, the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature are the inherent requirements of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way, actively promoting green transformation, and adhering to the sustainable development strategy. ESG investment has gradually become a "new force", and will eventually become the mainstream trend of the international investment community.

Zou Fengxian, General Manager, was invited to attend and said that ESG is an investment concept that advocates full consideration of environmental, social and governance factors in the investment decision-making process. In the past decade, the international capital market has shown more and more interest in ESG's investment philosophy. More and more investors and asset management companies have introduced ESG into the framework of corporate research and investment decisions. ESG investment, also known as sustainable investment, is a specific investment strategy to promote sustainable development solutions and results while striving for long-term financial returns.

As an advocate of the green industry, Bureau Veritas hopes to help customers achieve the goal of green and sustainable development by virtue of their professional experience and service solutions. In terms of implementing ESG investment, Bureau Veritas provides the following professional services, including:

Environment

Vigorously develop green transformation of enterprises: green products, green factories, product carbon footprint, responsible procurement (ISO 14000, ISO 50001, ISO 14064, ISO 14067, SBTi, etc.)
Support green finance: sustainable finance, green bonds, climate change bonds
Emphasize environmental protection: biodiversity, renewable energy, cleaner production, pollution and waste management, circular economy

Social

Labour management: social responsibility (ISO 26000)
Health and safety: HSE management
Product safety and quality
Data protection and privacy: GDPR, ISO 22701, etc
Stakeholder conflicts: identification of key issues, ESG report

Governance

Corporate governance: compliance, risk management, business sustainability (ISO 22301, ISO 31000, etc.)
Corporate behavior: business ethics, anti bribery (ISO 37001, etc.)