Day 2 (10 Dec) - Session hosted by Swire Properties

Ir Wallace LIN is the General Manager, Facilities Management of Swire Properties Limited. He currently oversees the overall development of the Company's Sustainable Development, formulates and executes plans including the Company's SD2050 strategy, innovation and digitalisation in energy management, stakeholder engagement, Science-based Targets and climate risk assessments, etc.

Wallace is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and Member of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, and currently Director of Hong Kong Green Building Council and Steering Committee Member of the Energy Transition Advisory Group of Business Environment Council. 

Mr Patrick HO is responsible for formulating and executing a corporate sustainability strategy for Swire Properties’ global operations across Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and U.S.A. portfolios. Through engaging stakeholders, setting targets and developing action plans, he leads a team to manage the full spectrum of the Company’s environmental, social and economic impact and to integrate ESG considerations into every facet of Swire Properties’ business.

Patrick is a Board of Director of Business Environment Council, and the Chair for their Nature & Biodiversity Advisory Group. He sits on the Corporate Advisory Board of World Green Building Council, and a Board Member of World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) - Built Environment Pathway. He is a Member to the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Expert Advisory Group for Building Sector, and Real Estate Standard Committee Member of Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).

Mr HO is a Chartered Environmentalist, a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), HKIQEP Professional Member and a Certified Carbon Auditor Professional.

Mr Jonathan CHIU is President of Schneider Electric Hong Kong. He currently heads the company’s Management Committee responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, operational delivery and business development for Schneider Electric in Hong Kong and Macau.

Since joining Schneider Electric three decades ago, Jonathan has held leadership positions across multiple business divisions. He is passionate about harnessing energy technology to advance digitalization, electrification and automation, driving greater efficiency and sustainability across buildings, data centers, infrastructure and grids in Hong Kong. His extensive experience has been instrumental in broadening Schneider Electric’s impact and strengthening its position as a trusted partner in the region.

Jonathan currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Business Environment Council, and was named Sustainability Leader of the Year at the HKMA Hong Kong Sustainability Award 2023.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Hong Kong, an MBA from the City University of Hong Kong, and an MBA from Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA Program. 

Ir Sammy YEUNG Sau-kuen, serves as the Commissioner for Climate Change in the Environment and Ecology Bureau of HKSARG, spearheading the city’s efforts in combating climate change and advance sustainable development toward the ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.  Together with the Office of Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality, Ir YEUNG adopts a whole-government approach to formulate comprehensive decarbonisation strategies.  His office collaborates with local, Mainland and overseas authorities and stakeholders to promote low-carbon development while mobilising community-wide participation to foster environmental sustainability and drive the growth of green economy.

Ir YEUNG has been working in the government for over 30 years and taken up professional and managerial roles in the areas of engineering services, project management, innovation & technology and regulatory enforcement.  He is a fellow member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers building services discipline and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.  He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Building Services Engineering from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Master degree in Public Administration from The University of Hong Kong and Postgraduate Certificate in Information Technology from The Hong Kong Metropolitan University.

Mr Christopher DE LA CRUZ, a Filipino architect, advocates sustainability in business and industry. He has actively campaigned for the establishment of the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC), an initiative of business, industry, civil society and public sector leaders that promotes sustainable building practices to the property industry. Presently, the PHILGBC is the leading green building movement in the country.

He is one of the main proponents for the development of BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) – the National Green Building Rating System. This system is being developed bearing in mind local contexts – including local climate, best practice in design and construction relevant to emerging economies. A recipient of the Australian Leadership Awards Fellowship, Chris cooperated and worked with representatives from national Green Building Councils from the Asia-Pacific Region to develop local green building rating schemes. This activity was held under the auspices of the World Green Building Council
and the Green Building Council Australia.

Chris has worked independently with public and private organizations that promote appropriate sustainable practices and strategies to urban and rural settings. His technical expertise includes design, evaluation and project management of environmental management projects. He has also conducted site assessments, evaluations and design preparation for the establishment of solid waste management facilities at the provincial, city, municipal and barangay levels in several regions in the Philippines. He has developed and delivered training sessions on environmental management and sustainable building for several organizations.

He actively contributes to several government programs and committees and has provided opinion in the ongoing development of policy in the area of sustainability. 

Chris believes that for sustainability to progress, solutions must be holistic.

He is the Vice Chair of the WorldGBC Asia Pacific Regional Network and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of PHILGBC.

Ms Vessela VALTCHEVA-MCGEE is a founding member and two-term President of the Bulgarian Green Building Council. She has spent over 15 years shaping sustainable policy, leading voluntary certification initiatives, and driving the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy through task forces at the World Green Building Council’s Europe Regional Network.

With over 20 years of experience in green building certification and sustainable development, Vessela is a recognised global sustainability leader. She advises the real estate sector and serves as a trusted subject matter expert for multilateral development banks, including the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

In 2024, Vessela joined GBCI Europe as the Director of Market Development for Eastern Europe, where she accelerates the regional adoption of green building standards. Previously, from 2008 to 2023, she was Managing Partner of International Projects for Triple Green Building Group. In that role, she managed high-profile certification projects across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Vietnam, Mexico, and the US.

Vessela holds a Master of Architecture from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she is an honorary guest lecturer, and a post-graduate diploma in Business Sustainability from Cambridge University. Honoured as a LEED Fellow in 2015 for her technical expertise, she is a highly credentialed industry expert holding professional designations as a LEED AP BD+C, BREEAM International Assessor, DGNB Auditor, and EDGE Auditor and Faculty.