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Alaya Consulting is a specialist consultancy focusing on ESG reporting, pre-assurance and sustainability training.
Alaya Consulting is a specialist consultancy focusing on ESG reporting, pre-assurance and sustainability training.
Associate consultant
Ruby Fang joined Alaya Consulting as an associate consultant in hopes to promote corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. Her main role includes day-to-day client communication, data management and preparation of reports. She graduated from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with a major in Environmental Sciences and a minor in Social Sciences. Ruby has also completed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) accreditation training.
Associate consultant
I joined Alaya Consulting with an interest in environmental protection and sustainable development, hoping to provide better solutions for different companies, promoting sustainable development and achieving carbon neutrality. I was mainly responsible for data collection, environmental disclosure, carbon audits and assisting in the preparation of reports. I am fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. I graduated with a master’s degree in environmental engineering and management from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric science from Nanjing University. I am also a yoga enthusiast.
Associate consultant
Xiaotong is responsible for handling data collection, writing ESG reports, and day-to-day client communications. She also assists with ESG disclosures and client support. She obtained her Master of Chemical Engineering in Shenzhen University, with a longterm focus on environmental pollutant assessment.
She also graduated in Bachelor of Engineering Science from Chang’an University, majoring in water pollution management.
Intern
Alisa Lam is an intern working at Alaya consulting during her gap year. She plans on studying Politics, International Relations and Global Sustainable Development at Warwick University in 2022. She has a keen interest in understanding what makes the best sustainability report, promoting corporate social responsibility and learning how to tailor sustainable strategies for different companies. She understands that implementing environmental and social policies is crucial in building a successful and resilient enterprise in today’s world. She is responsible for writing and revising reports as well as doing research for Alaya.
Management Trainee
Gabriel joined Alaya Consulting as a management trainee, responsible for conducting ESG advisory and reporting along with assisting the business development and marketing team.
He graduated from The University of Hong Kong with a bachelor’s degree of science majored in Environmental Science. Gabriel understands that working towards improving environmental and social issues is fundamental to building a sustainable and successful business. He would like to make a positive impact by joining the ESG advisory industry.
Associate consultant
Better ESG management shapes a more resilient and sustainable future.
Responsible for handling social data collection and analysis; Assist in preparing the sustainability report and daily communications with clients; Advise clients on ESG- related issues to optimize ESG disclosure and improve ESG performance.
Graduated from Uppsala University in Sweden with a master's degree in business and economics. Master thesis themed in green finance.
Associate Consultant
Eason joined Alaya Consulting as an associate consultant, responsible for preparing ESG reports. He is passionate about sustainability and eager in helping enterprises to improve their ESG performance. He graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong with a bachelor’s degree in science, major in Earth System Science and minor in Biology. Eason’s hobbies are playing table tennis and playing the guitar.
Consultant
Alva Yeung is keen in helping companies create sustainability strategies to help mitigate environment and social impact. Coming from an international relations background, she is familiar with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, UN Global Compact and other international initiatives. She is also responsible for social data analysis, facilitating stakeholder communication, ESG report writing and day-to-day client communication. Alva has completed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) accreditation training.
Alva obtained her Master of International Relations and Public Affairs in University of Hong Kong and Bachelor Degree in City University of Hong Kong, major in Asian and International Studies.
Business Development and Marketing Manager
Sunny joined Alaya in 2020 with a goal to bolster ESG and sustainability in Hong Kong.
He works with Alaya to develop and promote its initiatives such as HERA and ESG Newswire.
He also works with existing and new partners to collaborate and host events promoting ESG strategy and disclosure.
Sunny has great plans to design and develop Alaya’s own ESG rating system in the coming future.
Born in India, bred in Hong Kong, and a bachelor’s degree from NYU, Sunny comes from a rich and diverse range of experiences.
He majored in Finance and Marketing and minored in Social Entrepreneurship.
He co-founded his own social enterprise, Grounded Upcycling, in New York that upcycles spent coffee grounds into soap and face masks.
In his free time, Sunny likes to go hiking, read, or play Squash!
Founder
Tony is the founder of Alaya Consulting Limited. With more than 16 years of experience in advising C-suite executives, both in-house and from the client side, he is particularly experienced in the development of corporate sustainability strategies, training, communication and ESG reporting approaches.
Tony works with client companies to help them improve disclosure levels and ESG ratings. Recent clients include AAC Technologies, CIMC, Panda Green Energy, Chiho Environmental Group, Integrated Waste Management, Baguio, MicroPort, Tianjin Port and others. Recent projects include organising the Hong Kong ESG Reporting Awards, contributing to the development of industry best practices.
Tony is a Chartered Company Secretary, a GRI Nominated Trainer, a carbon audit professional accredited by the Association of Energy Engineers, a Practitioner of Institute of Environmental Management Association and a certified sustainability assurance practitioner. He has also successfully completed the practitioner training of Integrated Reporting.
Prior to setting up Alaya, Tony assumed senior roles in various leading communications agencies and a Fortune top 10 financial services group. Before embarking on his career in communications, Tony spent a number of years in banking and financial journalism. He received a master’s degree in Corporate Governance from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a bachelor’s degree in International Business from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
AA1000 Assurance Standards Version 3 Restructures Assurance Process
The third edition of the AA1000 Assurance Standard (“AA1000AS v3”) stipulates the sustainability-related information required for all types of organisations and incorporates the AA1000 Assurance Principles, or AA1000 AP (2018) (Figure 1). It not only requires data verification, but also focuses on implementation of the four key AA1000 principles: inclusivity, materiality, responsiveness and impact. The new standard proposes comprehensive accountability for the organisation’s sustainability management, performance and reporting by evaluating its compliance with AA1000AP (2018).
1. Fulfil the preconditions of assurance
To apply the AA1000AS v3 framework, it is necessary to focus on fulfilling the prerequisites of assurance (Figure 2), which includes development of the assurance scope, ways to assure compliance with the standard, and how the final diagnosis may be reported to the management before initiating the assurance process.
2. Align ESG data with financial reporting requirements
As a general framework, AA1000AS v3 provides a dynamic and flexible basis for high-quality assurance, revising the earlier version in accordance with market trends, such that the ESG information will be aligned with financial reporting requirements. Furthermore, there are two types of AA1000AS v3 engagement types: Type 1 and Type 2.
The first type focuses only on the organisation’s adherence to the four AA1000 principles mentioned above, whereas the second type is similar, but goes an extra mile for ensuring reliability and quality of the information provided (Figure 3). Through adopting Type 2 “Moderate” level, the assurance providers may also support any forward-looking information, when included in the organisation’s disclosure. This is done by verifying the methodologies used by the organisation when developing its position, targets, metrics, and narrative.
Established in 1995, AccountAbility is a global consulting and standards firm that provides effective auditing services to all types of organisations. The core of their work is represented by the set of AA1000 standards, which helps raise awareness of social responsibility and also help achieve sustainable development. The AA1000 assurance standard is a standard that assesses and enhances reliability and quality of an organisation’s social, economic, and environmental (ESG) reporting. It is a leading approach to sustainability-related assurance and is currently one of the most widely accepted assurance standards in the world.
AA1000 AS is primarily used by external audit firms but can also be used to guide organisations in establishing their accountability processes, systems and capabilities. Since 2015, Alaya Consulting has become a licensed AA1000 assurance provider (Figure 4) which helps it to guide clients in setting up an ESG data management system, building in-house ESG team and capabilities, and effectively mitigating ESG data risks. The English version of AA1000AS v3 was released in 2020, and the Chinese version will be released in the near future, with Alaya Consulting being one of the institutions reviewing the translation of the upcoming Chinese version.