Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") is the guiding and operating principle at BCT, which we believe will lead us to a better and more sustainable future. We strive to foster a sustainable culture by applying ESG standards and practices within and outside of our workplace, and also actively encourage our fund managers and business partners to adopt and follow, for the sake of human and the planet at large.

Environmental

Environment quality is critical for our business, community and people to thrive and grow. Given increasing environmental challenges nowadays, we give a high priority to mitigate impacts of climate change and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. Not only do we collaborate with industry players for climate action, we are proud of how we work closely with our suppliers to reduce emissions, carbon footprint, environmental hazards , paper and electronic waste through digitalisation, whilst advocating the 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle) principles and empowering our employees to innovate and adopt more green solutions.

Social

It is our duty that we speak for ourselves and make a positive impact in the community we operate in. Throughout our history, we actively partner and engage with local charitable organisations to support local causes through volunteering, sharing skills and raising funds, so as to enhance the development of local communities. We also encourage our employees to contribute to the society and promote employee volunteerism and philanthropic donations to co-create a caring culture.

In terms of pension protection, we have an important role to play in improving financial literacy and safeguarding the MPF system in Hong Kong. In particular, we have a long tradition of serving small-and-medium enterprises and other underserved individuals.

The CSR Committee

Since 2003, BCT has been recognised as a "Caring Company", which is awarded to companies that integrate care for the community, employees and the environment into their business practices. As citizens of our community, we understand that BCT is more than just a business, but an organisation that can ignite positive changes in the lives of our employees, our clients, our city, and the environment.

BCT formed a volunteer team comprising colleagues from various departments, who is tasked to discover, initiate new volunteer programmes and strengthen our culture of giving back to the community. The team also serves as a way for our colleagues to communicate ideas on how to enhance and enrich our CSR initiatives. We partner with different NGOs to serve those in need.

In 2006, the committee was divided into various sub-groups focusing on the needs of different areas: youth development, enriching the lives of the elderly, creating an employee-friendly workplace, environmental protection and giving.

2019 marked the 20th anniversary of BCT. Under the theme of "Embracing a Sustainable Future", we collaborated with an NGO to present a green campaign named "WGO x BCT Paper Saving Pioneers", which was our first large-scale green campaign to promote sustainability. Please click here to learn more.

BCT Next Academy

With our strong commitment to CSR and investor education, BCT is dedicated to helping Hong Kong people build a better retirement life. We established "BCT Third Age Academy" in 2009 to promote lifelong learning to people retiring from their roles at work or household duties.

In 2018, we renamed the academy to "BCT Next Academy", expanding the servicing group to working population in Hong Kong. We encourage people to step out of the box, make self-enhancement through learning and get prepared for retirement.

BCT Next Academy Leaflet

Governance

Risk Management

An effective risk management framework is essential to our success and is an integral part of BCT's culture. While it is necessary to accept a level of risk in achieving business goals, sound risk management measures allow us to make the most of each business opportunity, and enable us to be resilient and responsive to the changing business environment. We are committed to continuously improving our risk management framework by (1) promoting a culture where risk management is recognised as a core part of daily operation; (2) enhancing systematic identification of risks for this to be an integral part of business planning and resource allocation process; (3) establishing systematic reporting of risks and efficient communication; and (4) coordinating improvement initiatives.

Corporate Governance

BCT is committed to full compliance with relevant laws, regulations, guidelines and codes on all aspects of our business. It is our objective to prevent breaches of statutory and regulatory obligations as an approved trustee and a principal intermediary. We cultivate a positive compliance culture to ensure that colleagues understand their role in meeting these statutory and regulatory obligations. It is this culture that we reinforce ethical business standards in conducting all business activities with honesty, integrity and fairness.

In 2018, BCT was one of the MPF trustees which endorsed the Governance Charter for MPF Trustees ("the Charter") launched by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority. Voluntary in nature, the Charter was developed in recognition of the importance of good governance. The contents of the Charter are consistent with the manners in which we have been operating our MPF schemes and accordingly, we have been upholding and will continue to uphold the following 6 core values as advocated by the Charter:

• Value-for-money MPF schemes and services;
• Act in the best interests of members;
• Lift governance standards; Understand and respond to members' needs;
• Understand and respond to members' needs;
• Engage members through transparency and communication; and
• Serve with honesty and integrity.