Swire Properties: Sustainable Development Strategy (A)

On a sunny morning in the spring of 2009, Cary Chan, the Head of Technical Services and Sustainability at Swire Properties, sat with us in his new office in One Island East, and reflected on his experience of sustainable development at Swire Properties over the past decade. He explained how he had witnessed many changes in sustainable development practices in Swire Properties over the years, and recalled the impressive lengths Swire Properties’ top management had gone to in order to integrate sustainable development into the company’s corporate mission. Given the company’s rapid growth, especially seen in its entry into Mainland China, Mr. Chan proposed a plan to the executive board to improve sustainable development practices in Hong Kong and to introduce them in Mainland China.