And that’s a wrap! Future Green’s Year-End Sustainability Social went off with a bang!

The Future Green team with our lovely guests!

Conveyor belts are running, champagne glasses are bubbling and KIN Food Hub is buzzing with life. At Future Green’s Sustainability Social Year-End Event, guests begin to filter in, catching up amidst lively music and clinking glasses.

All smiles and fun with team Maxim’s and team Minerva Foods

Breaking through the chatter, a festive ding from the bell draws guests into the main area. The presentation begins and, after a warm welcome from Future Green’s CEO Heidi, we invite Matt Reid, CEO of KIN and tonight’s gracious host, to share KIN’s story with the crowd. The first thing guests learn is that, fittingly, over 25% of the materials used in the venue they are sitting in today are recycled or upcycled. KIN, Matt shares, is all about systemic change. In fact, you may have noticed KIN’s most recent venture at your local Wellcome supermarket: KIN Eggs! Matt shares that while over 50% of Hong Kong’s ingredients have travelled by plane, KIN Eggs have never flown. This is why KIN’s free-range, cage-free eggs have quickly become bestsellers.

Matt Reid, CEO of KIN, sharing KIN’s interesting story. 

Shifting gears, Heidi takes the stage once more to launch Future Green’s Carbon Literacy Project. As a non-profit programme, the Carbon Literacy Project has already been delivered to over 70,000 individuals and 5200 organisations across 25 nations. By delivering Carbon Literacy training in HK, Future Green aims to scale sustainability knowledge and empower more people to make positive change. As The  Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s Richard Ekkebus puts it, Carbon Literacy can help individuals and organisations become more sustainably-minded. Carbon Literacy is really the best 2024 Christmas gift!

An intense Kahoot quiz later (Heidi’s favourite), champions emerge and guests settle down once again. Another exciting announcement awaits: Future Green is launching the Sustainable Food Foundation, a charity two years in the making that aims to educate HK citizens about food sustainability. By centering around youth and the underprivileged, the charity will generate conversation, empower budding changemakers and advance Hong Kong’s food sustainability movement. Between the break, guests played Carbon Literacy BINGO. In true Future Green fashion (designed for maximum engagement, which is a top priority at our events), the game deepened guests’ knowledge on the intersection between food and sustainability. Prizes, thanks to our amazing sponsors LMO Baked Goods and Amedei, were given to the reigning champions. As a guest told us later, coming to our end of year Social isn’t just a jolly but also an experience where everyone can learn and be merry at the same time!

Congratulations to our Kahoot quiz winners!

Intense concentration whilst playing Carbon Literacy BINGO

Finally, it’s time for Members to take the stage and share their stories. First, Audrey Onolfo shares how Château Galoupet, a high-end sustainable rosé brand distributed by Moët Hennessy Diageo, embeds sustainability in all operations from soil to glass. Not only is Château Galoupet certified organic, the vineyard is also trialling biodynamic farming in some plots to test how it affects the soil and environment. Great vineyards are needed to make great wine, she says. This means healthy soil, diverse ecosystems, and thriving biodiversity, which is why Château Galoupet has spent time studying animals and restoring beehives on the vineyard. The goal, Audrey shares, is pleasure without guilt. 

Next up is Kenneth Law from the Vegetable Marketing Organization, which tries to bring the best locally-grown, low-carbon food to consumers in HK. By encouraging and offering more local produce, the organization aims to support the development of local agriculture whilst empowering consumers to make more sustainable food decisions. 

King Mak from SOMM also shares insights into how The Landmark Mandarin Oriental is delivering the message of sustainability to its guests. Since 2021, the hotel has banned single-use plastic from its guest rooms to its restaurants. Everything is sourced with high standards, and the hotel is trying to show the world that luxury, too, can be enjoyed sustainably.

Finally, the event draws to a close and guests wander back to the bar for one – or two – for the road. Nibbling on some delicious bites from KIN, guests visit Member’s booths to learn more, or just chatter away about today’s event. Lively music, great wine and happy people: the year is closing off with a bang and hopefully feeling a bit more confident to start conversations on climate change!  

Guest mingling with great energy

Heidi with Sindy from InvestHK!

KIN’s delectable Mini Mushroom Quiche (Vegetarian)

Our team with Basel from Manulife and Adrian from Sodexo

 

In summary, this isn’t your usual end of year jolly, Members and partners…

• deepened their knowledge on the link between food and climate.
• enjoyed interactive engaging activities including a Carbon Literacy Bingo and Kahoot for prizes
• took goodies bags home, but only what they wanted – help yourself!

Sign up for our Carbon Literacy Project training or, better yet, convince the Management you need to be a carbon literate organisation! Join thousands globally: every job is a climate job, and we all need a basic level of knowledge so we can start making change! ESG is not just a department, its all of our responsibilities as citizens! Our next course taking place on January 16th & 18th. 

Future Green’s Sustainability Social Year-End Event could not have gone-ahead without the generous support from our sponsors. Thank you once again to InvestHK, KIN Food Hub, Lighthouse Sustainability, Amedei, Château Galoupet, Conspiracy Chocolate, not only powder, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Oatside, Perrier & Juice, Sea Change, SOMM, Spicebox Organics and Vegetable Marketing Organization.