ANNUAL REVIEW 2020 © Martin Harvey Contents 02 EDWARD M
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HONG KONG 我 們 的 棲 息 地 ˙ 我 們 的 家 ANNUAL REVIEW 2020 © Martin Harvey Contents 02 EDWARD M. HO 04 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Chairman Message 05 FINANCIALS 06 OUR THANKS In September, Chinese president Xi Jinping announced that put our lives on pause and started to reconnect with each 08 CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP China would be carbon neutral by 2060. In Carrie Lam’s 2020 other and our city’s natural environments. This is our 10 OUR WILDLIFE WORK policy address, the Hong Kong government announced an chance to address our Ecological Footprint and restore and 14 OUR WETLANDS WORK even more stringent target of being carbon neutral by 2050. revitalise our city’s natural places. The magnitude of our 18 OUR OCEANS WORK This is a game changer. climate and environmental crisis requires us to respond at 22 GREEN CITIES, GREEN BUSINESS scale, but we can’t achieve it alone. It needs the support of We look forward to getting more details on the “proactive 26 OUR PEOPLE all of you. strategies and measures to reduce carbon emissions” that the 28 ONE PLANET EDUCATION government plans to implement and are now engaging with Over the past year, we undertook a review with academics them on this issue ahead of the update to Hong Kong’s climate on what it will take to restore our oceans with an emergency action plan in the middle of next year. recovery plan and coordinated marine spatial planning across the Greater Bay Area. We need to meet national It is up to all of us to work together to take the actions that are targets in marine protected areas. With this commitment necessary to make Hong Kong a liveable city that embraces our latest scientific report on watershed and wetland innovation, and initiatives to lower our Ecological Footprint. areas provides a blueprint of what needs to be done across We need to change the way we live in our consumption of terrestrial areas in Lantau today and across seven priority food and clothing, and have a bold vision for transportation conservation areas in Hong Kong waters. We want to see and energy solutions. We need to recognise the impact we the adoption of climate resilient planning for wetlands and are having on our planet’s biodiversity and take the steps communities at risk from the climate crisis. necessary to restore habitats and species. We need a game Regeneration from ridge to reef is our HK$40 million changing “new deal for nature and people from ridge to reef”. program to help restore habitats, species and rejuvenate This can be a defining moment for Hong Kong. communities. We cannot do this alone and need your Today, we are excited to share with you WWF-Hong support to realise our ambition. Kong’s bold vision to regenerate our local biodiversity – Together, let’s future-proof our world. Hoi Ha Wan was among the first batch of marine ANNUAL REVIEW FY20 / ABOUT LIFE the largest and most innovative wildlife, landscape and protected areas designated in Hong Kong in 1996 © WWF-Hong Kong. All rights reserved oceans regeneration program in our 40 year history. and is home to WWF’s marine life centre. We urge Publisher: WWF-Hong Kong the Hong Kong government to increase Marine Editor: Saul Symonds The plan rose from the COVID-19 crisis when we all Protected Areas (MPA) to cover 30% of Hong Design: Choyo Kwok Kong waters by 2030, with no-take reserves as a Edward M. Ho foundation. Only 5% of Hong Kong’s waters are Any reproduction in full or in part must mention the title Chairman, Executive Council of WWF-Hong Kong designated or planned to be established as MPAs and credit the above publisher as the copyright owner. This by 2023 is not enough. publication is printed on FSC-certified paper, containing recycled materials and using vegetable oil-based inks. Annual Review / 1 The Mai Po upgrade project is funded An upgrade planned to the existing footpath that by a HK$347.86 million grant from the connects Mai Po’s various facilities with the construction Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. of a wooden boardwalk includes widening to universal The grant covers elements that make it accessibility standards. The new boardwalk design will possible for the Mai Po Community to be a minimum width of 1.65 metres with a safety lip for have the facilities needed by students, wheelchairs. There will be in total six education areas with teachers, and those interested in signage at points along the 1 km route, and seven passing wetlands research and wetlands training. bays for wheelchair users. Edward M. Ho Mai Po Nature Reserve serves as a Bird hides are one of the most important elements of Mai Chairman, benchmark for the sustainable use of Po Nature Reserve, allowing visitors to observe the globally Executive Council of WWF-Hong Kong (2014-2020) wetlands and a hub of biodiversity with endangered and migratory birds that pass through the over 2,050 recorded species. This project reserve without causing disturbance. The two proposed The end of 2020 sees the completion Edward has been with WWF since 2012 aligns with the local, regional and global tower hides will provide opportunities for our Mai Po sustainability goals undertaken as part of Edward Ho’s tenure as Chairman of as a member of the Finance Committee community to observe the reserve’s bird community and of a mission to create a New Deal for Connect with Nature. WWF-Hong Kong after serving as head and Development Committee, bringing Nature and People. of Hong Kong’s largest environmental his financial expertise and commercial NGO for the past six years. experience to the non-profit community The Peter Scott rebuild will enhance and will continue doing so in his capacity capacity for wetland training and Since assuming the helm in 2014, as member of the Executive Council. research, providing space for community Edward has steered the organisation’s forums and workshops. This will bring development focus on conservation Edward hands over the helm to incoming groups together to tackle threats to education, spearheading the Mai Po Chairman Daniel Bradshaw with WWF biodiversity and the issues surrounding Infrastructure Upgrade Project that will in solid footing. We want to extend our the protection of Deep Bay wetlands and convert Mai Po Nature Reserve into a deepest gratitude for Edward’s dedication the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. 21st century classroom. and passion for conservation and WWF Education has been a cornerstone of over the years and look forward to his The project will unveil a new Peter Scott Mai Po since the early days and the continued contribution to the future Field Studies that will be accessible to all refurbishment of the Mai Po Education growth of the organisation. Centre will provide enhanced exhibition visitors, including those with disabilities, and interactive learning areas for and enhance capacity for wetlands students, members or the public and training and research, providing space citizen scientists. for community forums and workshops. Visit our project website to learn more Annual Review / 2 *Reference only Annual Review / 3 As a leading non-profit conservation WWF-Hong Kong understands that The following highlights provide an analysis of the Annual Report and Accounts of WWF-Hong Kong for the year organization, WWF-Hong Kong voluntary disclosure is essential in ended 30 June 2020. The Annual Report and Accounts have been audited by BDO Limited and are prepared in commands a high degree of public trust establishing public confidence. To FINANCIALS accordance with the Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards. due to our professionalism, integrity ensure that our financial resources are and transparency. spent appropriately, we are committed to providing clear, accurate and WWF-Hong Kong’s governing body is OUR INCOME DELIVERING IMPACT AND RESULTS transparent financial information for the Executive Council. Its members, WWF-Hong Kong’s income increased by 1.7% to HK$123.1 million in FY20. Support Total expenditure for FY20 amounted to HK$124.5 million. Conservation, and community public scrutiny. Our financial accounts, professionals from conservation, from individual donations which continue to be the largest income source, grew at 4.4%, and schools’ education, remained our major investments in FY20, represented 69% of prepared in accordance with the Hong scientific, education and business and representing 60% of the total income for FY20. Corporate donations, including the total expenditure. We continued to strive to achieve strong conservation impact, Kong Financial Reporting Standards, fields, are strongly committed to nature income from our Corporate Membership Programme, corporate partnership on plastics our conservation programmes were delivered in areas including Mai Po and wetlands, are independently audited by BDO conservation. They serve on a voluntary campaigns, and a service fee from a financial institution’s e-statement initiative. Trust oceans, wildlife, local biodiversity and sustainability, green cities, and community Limited and published yearly in our basis, providing advice from their and foundation income included the second year of Making Zero Impact Fashionable engagement and education. We contributed 5% of the total expenditure to the WWF annual report. professional perspectives, approving initiative, the Sea For Future project, and public sector grants, such as the Sea Without network to deliver global objectives. strategic direction, conservation Litter. Other income mainly represented support for our centre-based activities, school WWF-Hong Kong’s conservation strategy is focused 2020-2025 to deliver conservation programmes and annual budget, and partnerships and wetland management training run by WWF-Hong Kong. impact at scale and be engaged with other partnered and network offices. Our focus is monitoring operations of WWF-Hong on youth and understanding our supporter base with improved segmentation to enhance Kong.